


The Primaries

by BooksRBetterThanPeople



Category: Heathers (1988), Heathers: The Musical - Murphy & O'Keefe, Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Miraculous, Alya Salt, Based on Heathers, Drinking, F/F, F/M, Guns, Heathers AU, Lila salt, M/M, Murder, Nino Sugar, Read at Your Own Risk, Suicide, The Primaries, hbic au, then the musical, watch the movie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-02-05
Packaged: 2021-03-14 15:01:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 11
Words: 27,761
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28672674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BooksRBetterThanPeople/pseuds/BooksRBetterThanPeople
Summary: Adrien Agreste, Paris’ Sunshine Boy just wants to survive Lycée and spend time with his best friend without Alya and Lila getting in the way. Finally, salvation comes in the form of three very powerful students and then one student with blue streaks in his hair
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Nino Lahiffe, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Luka Couffaine, Alya Césaire & Lila Rossi, Marc Anciel/Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Marinette Dupain-Cheng & Chloé Bourgeois & Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Minor Adrien Agreste/Nino Lahiffe - Relationship, Minor Marinette Dupain-Cheng/Chloé Bourgeois, Past Nino Lahiffe & Alya Césaire
Comments: 45
Kudos: 116
Collections: MarcNath Fics!





	1. Beautiful

**Author's Note:**

> "Real life sucks losers dry. You want to fuck with the eagles, you have to learn to fly."  
> -Heather Chandler

_September 1, 1989_

_Dear Diary,_

_You know... I think I’m a good person. I’m sure I am. When I started going to DuPont, I was always looking for the good in everyone because I know that deep down, no one is truly vicious or cold-hearted... But here I am, the first day of senior year. And now, I’m just looking at all of these people that I’ve known since I got here and I ask myself: “What Happened?” We were so kind to each other, we got along well, cared for one another. I guess as we get older, stuff just changes. I swear to God, it’s like the Thunderdome at this school. Seriously, when did everything turn to... To shit?!_

The sound of a lunch tray hitting the floor caused everyone in the cafeteria to look and see Lila Rossi standing in front of Mireille Caquet with a smirk on her face

_Lila Rossi. From what I’ve heard, She’s been telling lies for who knows how long? How no one in her class has figured it out yet, I’ll never know. Heck, She even has our homeroom teacher and Principal fooled. The messed up part is that I can’t do anything about it or my father will pull me out of school for ‘Bad relations with one of the models’ or some made-up reason._

Once Lila left with a cackle, Adrien went to help Mireille, “Are you okay?”

She hesitated, “... Yeah. Thanks.” She snatches her water bottle before Adrien could pick it up for her and storms over to her table.

Adrien sighed. He’s not the most... The well-liked person at DuPont. That’s what you get for being in the Rossi Class. When you’re in that classroom, you need to prove yourself to the other students. You need to prove that you’re not a backstabbing, lying, mooching asshole.   
He’s earning their trust... Slowly. It’s not easy when a lot of people think you’re dating the school’s personal demon. Some of the other students did tolerate him and one other person in Mme. Bustier’s class. They took Lila’s lies with a grain of salt.

Startled, Adrien jumped when he felt a slight tap on his shoulder, but he calmed down when he saw that it was his best friend, “Hey, Nino!”

He smiled, “Hey, dude.”

_Nino Lahiffe: My best friend since I started going here. He’s got a huge heart but, at this school, it’s not enough._

The two made their way around the classroom, trying to find an empty table that was far away from their classmates. Nino also knew about Lila’s lies. He has ever since she caused him and Alya to break up. When he tried to warn his classmates, they shunned him, turning him into an outcast.

_Shunning? Geez, our class is like a hive mind like in those weird sci-fi movies. If someone disobeys, then they’re cut off. That’s it. You’re done._

_Of course, though, being shunned by the Rossi Class didn’t exactly boost you up higher on the school social ladder. You didn’t go lower, but you definitely didn’t go higher. Again, you need to prove yourself, and Nino was. Just yesterday, Jean let him deejay his birthday party, on the condition that he didn’t let anyone in his class know. I was an acception. It was a fun party even though no one really talked to me._

Nino asked, “So, we still on for movie night?”

”Yeah,” Adrien said, “What’d you pick out?”

He grinned, “Only the best. Jaws one through four!”

“Again?” Adrien joked, “Don't you have all of those memorized by now?”

”Dude, you know I’m a sucker for a good Spielberg movie,” Nino said seriously, “He is a genius, and I would kill if he asked me to.”

”Nino Lame-Ass!” The owner of the voice yelled as they smacked Nino’s lunch tray out of his hands, getting condiments all over his favorite sneakers. Nino loved two things in this life: Spielberg movies, and his sneaker collection. To him, messing with one of them is the equivalent of murder.

Adrien glared at the assailant.

_Alya Césaire, the school gossip. She used to be a serious journalist who cared about the hard facts, but now that Lila has her wrapped around her claw, she became a tabloid writer and only wrote falsehoods and half-truths. Not only that, but she’s set out to make Nino’s life a living hell ever since they broke up._

”What is wrong with you?!” He yelled at Alya as she and Lila laughed at the sight of Nino. “Pick it up! Now!” He demanded. Alya faced me with a smirk and a slight squint of her eyes. After she and Nino broke up, Lila told her to get rid of her glasses, saying she’ll look more attractive to guys. That, and to wear better clothes. “Better” means “Crop tops and tight pants.”

”I’m sorry, but were you actually talking to me?”

”Adrien,” Lila drawled out, “I believe Alya asked you a question. She shot him a looker in her evil green eyes that said, ‘Do you want me to tell your father?’

Adrien shot back a, ‘It’s our senior year. Grow up, b*tch.’ “I wanna know what gives you the damn right to pick on my friend!” He shouted at Alya, making everyone in the cafeteria whirl their heads to watch the scene unfold, “I mean, come on! You two are high school has-beens waiting to happen!” He pointed to Lila, “A future gas station attendant,” then to Alya, “And a cocktail waitress.”

All was silent until...

”Wow, look whose balls finally dropped,” Aurore snarked, making everyone at her table laugh, followed by everyone in the cafeteria.

Someone taunted, ”Finally standing up to dad’s precious muse?”

Adrien groaned as the laughter continued. Nino quickly picked up his tray and led Adrien to an empty table. Once there, Adrien reached into his backpack and pulled out a black notebook with a green paw print on the cover and just started venting

_Dear Diary,_

_Just... Just why?! Why..._

Before he could write some more, he heard,

”Why do they hate me?”

”Why don’t I fight back?”

”Why do I act like such an ass?”

”Why won’t he date me?!”

”Why did I hit him?”

”Why am I always crying myself to sleep?”

_... Huh. Guess I’m the only one who’s messed up. Hell, even my classmates have issues. God, just send us a lifeline or something. Or maybe some cold beer? I’m sure we could all use one._

“It’s them!” One of the students cheered. Adrien looked up from his journals and saw... Them.

Dressed in their color-coded blazers and black, crown-shaped lapel-pins- with what Adrien was sure were real jewels adorning them- were The Primaires. They float above it all. Everyone loves them. (Except for the Rossi Class) They have the school, hell, maybe all of Paris in the palm of their hands.

The Primaires didn’t believe a single word coming out of Lila’s mouth, so of course, they were outcasts in their own classroom until they transferred to Mendelieve’s a year before Adrien stopped being homeschooled. There was clearly something special about the three of them because the other students welcomed them with open arms instead of giving them the semi-cold shoulder like Adrien and Nino. Maybe it’s because they were feared and respected? No one knows.

On the left in his signature red blazer was Nathaniel Kurtzberg. He’s president of the Art club, and his family is LOADED because they’re a well-known mafia. He seems nice at a first glance, but get on his bad side, and you’re dead. Fun fact: Almost everything he has is red. His car, half his wardrobe, his boyfriend who wears a red hoodie.

On the right with her yellow blazer was Chloé Bourgeois. She runs the yearbook committee. Her father is the mayor, and her mother is the style queen of New York, so you know she gets whatever her heart desires. She’s not the nicest, but there’s a heart of gold DEEP down somewhere. She and Adrien actually used to be friends when they were kids, but then just started drifting away.

And finally, in the middle wearing her Royal blue blazer was Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the almighty... She is a mythic bitch. Her parents own bakeries all over the world, so you know she’s got money. Not only that, but she’s gotten attention from hundreds of celebrities. Jagged Stone, Clara Nightingale, Audrey Bourgeois, everyone, and all because she designs their clothes.

_They could turn Paris into their own personal empire if they wanted to. Why stop there? Maybe all of Europe._

Adrien watched as they made their way to their reserved table where no one dared to sit. One tried to... They no longer attend DuPont. Only one person who wasn’t exactly an official member of the clique was allowed to sit there, and that was Marc Anciel, Nathaniel’s boyfriend who wore a red hoodie with a black crown stitch on the back. Nathaniel would bend over backward for him even when Marc didn’t ask. He’s cold? Make someone get him a blanket. Tired? Let him rest on his shoulder. Someone’s messing with him? Murder... Okay, maybe not murder but definitely threats.

Adrien sighed and continued writing,

_They’re solid Teflon, never bothered or harassed. I would give anything to be like that._

He wasn’t the only one who felt that way,

”I’d like to be Marinette’s girlfriend,” Aurore sighed.

”If I sat at their table, maybe people would notice me,” Jean said.

”I just wish they were less terrifying,” Nino said as he slipped on his headphones and put a cassette in his walkman.

”I’d like to kidnap a Primary and photograph them naked in an abandoned warehouse then leave them tied up for the rats.”

_... Note to self. Avoid whoever said that._

  
Adrien needed to rush and get his textbook for his next class out of his locker. Little did he know that going to do so would change his life.

“Nathaniel, give Marc’s tongue a break,” Adrien covered his mouth so a gasp wouldn’t come out. He was in the same room as the Primaries. He peered around the row of lockers and saw Marinette and Chloé waiting outside the boy’s bathroom while they fixed their makeup.

Adrien had to get out of there. So, he began to tip-toe his way to the door, trying not to breathe too loud but stopped in his tracks when he heard the door opening. In walked Caline Bustier, his homeroom teacher.

”Ah, Marinette, and Chloé.” Nathaniel let out a moan, “... And Nathaniel. Perhaps you didn’t hear the bell over all the...” She gestures to the door to the boy’s bathroom, “Whatever is going on in there. You’re late for literature.”

Marinette rolled her eyes, “Oh, what a shame. We’re going to be late for your class. Now how will we learn how to save sleeping princesses with a kiss?” She mocked.

At that, Adrien reached into his backpack, pulled out a notebook, and quickly wrote a hall pass on a blank sheet in Jean’s, the yearbook committee second-in-command’s handwriting.

_Fun fact. I can forge people’s hand-writing. Whenever I write in my diary, I do it in Kim’s hand-writing just in case someone finds this and learns all of my dark secrets. Then they’ll be his dark secrets. Note to self. Tear out this page._

”Week’s detention for all three of you and whoever is in that bathroom with Nathaniel.” She was about to leave until Adrien ran over to her with the fake note in his hand

”Mme. Bustier. The five of us are actually out on all a hall pass from the yearbook committee.” He hands her the note and tries not to sweat as she carefully examines it. He bet if Lila or Alya gave her the note, she wouldn’t be looking at the note suspiciously. They were the class favorites after all.

”I see you’re all listed,” she said before giving Adrien the note back,” Hurry up and get where you’re going.” And she left. Adrien was about to put the note in his pocket until a perfectly manicured hand snatched it away. He turned to see Marinette and Chloé looking at it in awe. Exiting the bathroom was Nathaniel with Marc, both looking very satisfied. They crowded around Marinette and looked at the note with the same expressions.

”Whoa!” Chloé exclaimed, “This is Jean’s handwriting exactly! I didn’t know you had it in you, Agreste.”

”Agreste?” Marinette arched an eyebrow, “Sunshine Boy?” Adrien nodded, “Strange how I’ve never noticed a local celebrity around here.”

He blushed, “I try to stay away from the spotlight.” When he was met with silence, Adrien took a breath a said, “There’s something I need to ask. I... Could you, maybe...”

”Spit it out,” Nathaniel spat as he pulled Marc closer to him.

”Can I sit with you guys at lunch?!” He blurted, much to their shock, “Please, just once and we don’t even have to talk. If people think you guys tolerate me, maybe my classmates will leave me alone and I can finally be friends with the other students.”

The Primaries just laughed while Marc gave him a sympathetic look, “You know, I also forge report cards, permission slips, and absence notes.”

”What about prescriptions?” Chloé asked.

Marinette sighed and rested a hand on her shoulder, “Chloé, I already told you, you don’t need those diet pills.”

”Aw. Love you, Mari.”

Marinette smiled at her blonde friend before turning back to Adrien. She looked him up and down and got so close that Adrien caught a whiff of the fresh-baked macarons on her skin and clothes. Now their faces were inches apart and Adrien tried so hard not to blush right now because he was so sure that she and Chloé were dating.

”I can see why you’re a model,” she mused, “You have excellent bone structure.”

“And a symmetrical face!” Nathaniel piped up as he examined the blonde’s face, “Seriously if I took a meat cleaver down the center of your skull, I’d have matching halves! That’s very important.” Marc giggled at his boyfriend’s excitement.

”Of course, you could stand to get a better sense a fashion,” Chloé snarked as she rubbed the white fabric of his shirt between her thumb and pointer finger. “I love uncle Gabriel, but... Just no.”

Marinette hummed in thought before smiling, “Guys, what do you say we help Agreste out?”

Adrien nearly choked on his own spit at those words. What was she doing?

”Chloé, Marc get me your blush, Nath, I need your brush.” She walks behind Adrien and starts removing his white shirt, “Sunshine, we are going to make you beautiful,” she whispered. “Now. What color do you wanna wear?”

‘What is happening?!’

Nathaniel handed Marinette his brush. Chloé leads Adrien to one of the benches and sat him down.

”I see you in a nice emerald green. It matches your eyes,” Marinette said as she started brushing his hair, “Nath, do you still have that spare blazer?” He nods, “Let’s see if he can fit it.”

  
Nino looked around for his friend. He was with him one minute, then gone the next. He asked around for the blonde, but no one knew where he went.

Suddenly, the halls went silent and students broke out into whispers and formed a crowd. Confused, Nino moved his way through the crowd to see what all the commotion was. When he got to the front, he couldn’t believe his eyes.

"Whoa!"

"Nathan!"

"Chloé!"

"Mari!"

"And someone!"

”Who is that?!”

”The Primaries got a new member?"

”He’s kind of hot.”

Nino gaped when he saw the familiar green eyes and blonde hair, “Adrien?”

”Agreste?!”

”No way!”

”They actually like him?”

Right between Marinette and Nathaniel stood Adrien. They turned him into a Primary complete with his own blazer which was emerald green with the collar a darker shade. Pinned on the collar was his own black, crown-shaped lapel pin that now had a green gem with the red, yellow, and blue ones. Adrien had hoped, dreamed, prayed for something like this. And he finally got his way! He felt like hell on wheels and he felt beautiful!

Nino watched in disbelief as his best friend walked down the hall with the Primaires. 'This is a good thing,' he thought to himself. 'He's still the same guy just shinier, popular, and... He's probably going to switch classes, leaving me alone. With _them_.'


	2. Candy Store/Fight for Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in one day!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "It'll give her shower nozzle masturbation material for weeks!"  
> -Heather Duke

_Dear Diary,_

_It’s been three weeks since I became friends with The Primaries... Actually, "friends" isn’t the right word. We're close, but... It's complicated. It’s more like The Primaries are people I work with. And our job is being popular and keeping the Rossi Class in line. Since my new signature color is green, I had to re-do my entire wardrobe and fill it with green shirts, jackets, and some hints of black. I miss my blue jeans. Well, those and being in class with Nino._

"Hey, Dude," Nino greeted Adrien by his locker, "You're uh... You look nice these days." He looked the other way as his cheeks turned a darker shade,

Adrien smiled, "Thanks. But it’s still the same me underneath."

"Are you sure?" He asked with a raised eyebrow

"Hey," He takes Nino's hand, "Look I’m- I’m really sorry that I flaked on movie night again. I’ve just- I’ve had a lot going on.

"I get that," he smiled, "You’re with the Primaries now. That’s exciting. I mean, I wish you didn't have to switch classes because... Y'know."

Adrien rolled his eyes, "Them. How are you holding up?"

"Not great," he answered, "It wasn't as terrible when you were there, but now? I'm everyone's punching bag. Alya poured a smoothie on me yesterday. Cherry Blitz."

"That explains why you smell like fruit," He and Nino laughed, "I'll see if they can get her to quit messing with you."

"Th-thanks." Nino looked away again and so did Adrien when their cheeks flushed again, "Oh, I think Chloé wants you."

Adrien looked to see the blonde approaching him from down the hall, "Adrien! Marinette says to haul ass to the cafeteria pronto. Her words, not mine; I am just the messenger.

Adrien rolled his eyes, "How very." He turned to Nino, "See you later, bro?" He held up his fist, which Nino bumped with his own.

"You know it, bro."

Adrien walked to the cafeteria with Chloé, "Hey, Chlo."

"Don't 'Hey, Chlo' me," she said with a smirk, "What was that?"

He frowned, "What?"

"You know. Is 'Bro' codeword for 'Babe'?

Adrien sputtered, "Wh-what?! Chloé, I'm not... We're just friends!"

The smug look didn't leave her face, "Sure you are... Adrien, we've been friends for years. I know when you like someone. Remember Kagami?"

When Adrien was ten, he took up fencing. Yes, his father made him do it, but he actually enjoyed it. It was fun, it made him better coordinated, so he didn't mind the sport. Then when he turned eleven, his class got a new student who came from Japan, Kagami Tsurigi. She was amazing and rose to the top of the class in just one week. Whenever Adrien dueled against her, he'd always lose focus for some reason, his face would red under his mask whenever she pinned him to the floor, and he had trouble speaking to her sometimes.  
He didn't know what it meant until his assistant Nathalie explained (Because his father was too busy) that he had a crush on her. But he didn't have a crush on Nino! They're best friends! Yes, he blushed around him a lot, but that's because the room gets very hot!

"Even best friends can become lovers," Chloé said out of nowhere, alarming Adrien because he didn't say that out loud.

They entered the cafeteria where they saw Marinette, Nathaniel, and Marc at their table. Marinette was looking through a fashion magazine and trying not to vomit at these "Poor excuses for fashion" while Nathaniel and Marc, wrapped in each other's arms, read a comic together- Amazing Spider-Man #319. Marinette looked up from her magazine when she saw Adrien and Chloé approaching, "Adrien, finally. Thanks for getting him, Chloé." She smiled in response, "Anyway, I need you to forge a note in Jean Duparc's handwriting."

"Okay, you got a sample?" Immediately, Marinette reached into the pocket of her blazer and pulled out a folded piece of paper. Adrien unfolded it and saw an A+ written in red at the top left corner. The header read, 'War of 1812.' Adrien read it over with an impressed look. "How'd you get this?" He asked nervously

"We asked," Nathaniel said with a shrug of his shoulders.

Adrien let out a breath of relief. He was just so used to some of his classmates stealing stuff. Chloé tore a piece of paper out of her notebook and passed it to Adrien. He walked over to the table and examined Jean's essay for a few seconds before he started writing what Marinette said.

"Hello, beautiful. I've been watching you and thinking about us being together. I hope you and your classmates can come to my homecoming party this weekend and watch the sparks fly. Love, Jean."

Chloé piped up, "Oh, put an “xo” after the signature."

"Yes!" Marinette exclaimed as she hugged Chloé, "This is why I love you!"

Adrien smiled at the two girls before signing the fake note, "What’s this for anyway?"

Marinette smirked, "I just found out that Alya had a crush on Jean _while_ she was dating Nino before Lila broke them up," she responded

Adrian grimaced, "That's just awful."

"Remember when she tried to flirt with him?" Nathaniel asked, "And right in front of Nino!"

"Yeah," Chloé nodded, "I know. Bitchy. Anyway, we're gonna have a little fun with them." She takes the note, "Starting with this. Plus, it'll give her shower-nozzle masturbation material for weeks"

"Oh my God!" Marinette laughed, "Shut up, Chloé," she teased.

"You shut up," she said back with a grin.

"And what is your definition of 'fun'?" Adrien asked as he took the note back, "I don't want to do anything drastic."

Marinette rolled her eyes, "Adrien, come on. Whatever we're going to do to them, they deserve it! Don't forget, Lila threatened to tell on you to your dad and have him pull you out of school if you went against her ever since she started working as a model."

Adrien frowned at that, "I guess, but I still don't want to hurt any of them-"

"Are we gonna have a problem, Adrien?" Marinette asked with an arched eyebrow, "No, tell me. You have come so far, and just now you decide to pull on my dick?" While Marinette's blue eyes kept him in place, Nathaniel snuck over and swiped the note out of Adrien's hand, "Look, nothing's gonna happen to Nino if that’s what you’re worried about, alright? I know you have a little thing for him." Adrien blushed, "I knew it," she smirked. "Now, watch." She turns his head over to Lila and Alya walking to their table with Nathaniel following not too far from behind. Carefully, he slipped the note onto Alya's lunch tray and ran back over to the Primaries' table

"Hey, isn't it almost time for you guys to do the lunchtime poll?" Marc asked, and looks of horror crossed their faces.

"Shoot!" Marinette yelled, going over to her backpack and pulling out a pink clipboard with white spots, "Thanks for reminding us, Marc. Alright, guys, the poll question is: "You find magical jewelry that transforms you into a superhero when you say a specific phrase. What is your phrase and what powers do you have?"

"Mine would be 'Forecast calls for trouble' and I'd have the ability to control the weather."

"I'd say 'Clockwise' and have the power to travel through time."

"'Show Time', mess with the villain's powers."

"Was that everyone?" Nathaniel asked. Adrien, Marinette, and Chloé held up their clipboards, filled with the answers of everyone in the cafeteria. Except for one. Sitting by himself at a table in the back of the cafeteria was a boy strumming a gentle tune on his guitar. Adrien couldn't take his eyes off of him; there was just something about the boy with black hair that faded to blue at the tips wearing a long dark-blue trench coat. His fingers with black-painted nails played a beautiful tune that put him in some sort of trance. Adrien would definitely remember talking to someone like him...

"We didn't talk to him, yet," Adrien said, pointing to the mysterious boy. The Primaries looked to see who he was referring to.

"That's Juleka's brother, Luka," Marinette said, "They stopped talking after Juleka, Rose, and Ivan kicked them out of their band because Lila said he was holding them back after she found out he knew she was lying." She rolled her eyes, "I swear to God- Anyway, now he's kind of a loner. He just sits there and strums away. Not bad, though." She looks at Adrien and smirks, "Damn, drool much? Go talk to him. I would, but poor Chloé would probably get jealous."

She smirked, "As if, Mari."

Adrien took a deep breath, straightened his blazer, and walked over to Luka's table. As he did, he heard Alya and Lila squealing and giggling over at their table while the others smiled and sent Alya congratulatory smiles and pats on the back. 'She must've read the note.'

"Hey," Adrien said once he was at Luka's table. He stopped strumming his guitar to look up at him, "Luka Couffaine, right?"

"Well, greetings and salutations," he responded. "You a Primary?"

"Pretty much." He pulls out his clipboard, "So, this may seem like a really stupid question."

"Come on, there are no stupid questions."

Adrien gave him an, 'Are you sure about that?' look, and asked him the poll question, "You find magical jewelry that transforms you into a superhero when you say a specific phrase. What is your phrase and what powers do you have?"

"... Okay, so there's one stupid question," he chuckled, making Adrien blush.

Unbeknownst to them, Lila was glaring at Luka for flirting with her meal ticket. She turned to Alya and said, "Who does that guy think he is flirting with _my_ Adriboo?"

Alya looked over at Luka and Adrien and frowned, "Asshole," she muttered, not noticing Juleka glaring at her for calling her brother that. Just because they didn't talk, that didn't mean they loved each other any less. "God, he looks like Bo Diddley in that trench coat. Clearly, he doesn't know how things work around here."

"Well... My phrase would be 'Scales Slither, and I'd have a power called 'Second Chance' where I can mark a moment in time and then reverse time back to the point I marked. I can change the outcome of a recent event and go back to the marked moment as many times as I'd like."

Adrien smiled. That was the best answer he's heard all day. He was so detailed. "How very," was the only response he could come up with.

"Adrien, let's motor," Marinette said as she came up to the table. She smiled at Luka, "Couffaine."

He smiled back, "Dupain-Cheng. Always a pleasure."

"The pleasure is all mine," she responded before pulling Adrien away.

"See you around?"

"Of course."

Back at the Rossi table, Lila was talking to Kim and Ivan, "Obviously Adrien isn't aware that he's flirting with him. Since he was homeschooled, he's not the best with social skills; could you go send Luka a little message for me? Make sure he doesn't do it again."

Kim nudged Ivan, "Let's go, man. We gotta kick his ass." Juleka cleared her throat and sent him a glare, "... Or just give him a little scare." Ivan nodded, and the two walked up to Luka's table. Kim slammed his hand down on the table to get his attention.

"So, what'd your boyfriend say when you moved to the good 'ol city of love?" When Luka didn't answer and went back to playing his guitar, "Kim slammed his hand down again, "Hey! We're talking to you!"

"Kim, doesn't this school have a no-fairies rule?" Ivan asked.

"No, but it does have an open-door policy for shit-heads who hang out with girls who have two sausages on the sides of her head," Luka snarked.

And after a moment of silence between the three of them, Kim threw a punch. Luka dodged it and kicked him in the knees, letting him fall to the ground. He grabbed his guitar case just as Ivan was about to punch him and used it as a shield. There was an audible crack when Ivan's fist hit the solid case, then he gave him an uppercut, sending him down, too. Everyone stared, slack-jawed. Juleka was embarrassed, and all Adrien could think was, 'Daaaaamn!'

'I want him to fight for me.'


	3. Freeze Your Brain/Big Fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Raise your hand if you think there's some sort of romantic tension between Marinette and Chloé

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> “You gonna pull a super-chug with that?”  
> -J.D.

"God, Adrien, drool much?" Chloe smirked as she and the Primaries played croquet in Adrien's backyard while Marc sat on the patio and watched while also reading a graphic novel, "You were totally throwing your panties at that new kid."

"God, I can't believe he's only getting detention," Nathaniel said, "The guy nearly killed them. I mean, it was badass, but still."

Adrien chimed in, "Nah, he didn't do any real damage. All he really did was ruin two pairs of pants," Marinette and Chloé laughed, "Maybe not even that. Can you bleach out urine stains?"

"Aw, someone has a crush on Luka," Nathaniel taunted, "Strange, I thought you had a thing for Nino Lahiffe."

Adrien rolled his eyes, "We're just friends!"

"That's what they all say," Marinette muttered as she swung her mallet. Her blue-rimmed ball hit Chloé's yellow one. She sent the blonde a smirk, making her roll her eyes.

"So, you wanna take the two shots or send me on out, Mari?"

"Chloé my love, did you have a brain tumor for breakfast?"

As they continued their conversation, Adrien whispered to Nathaniel, "Are they dating? I-I can't tell."

Nathaniel furrowed his brow, "Hard to tell. Their banter is cute, though, isn't it?"

"... Yeah," He nods. They heard the sound of a mallet connecting with a ball and turned to see Chloé's ball landing over by a large koi pond. The two girls exchanged looks Adrien couldn't decipher before Chloé walked over to the other side of the koi pond and lined up her shot.

"Come on, Chlo, you got this!" Adrien yelled.

Nathaniel added, "We'll see about that!"

With a triumphant smirk, Chloé lined up her shot and swung. The ball flew over the pond, bounced off of a tree trunk, hit a lamppost, came back towards them, and rolled under an arch. Marinette clapped, "Knew you could do it."

Adrien smiled, "Holy shit!"

"That was incredible!" Nathaniel cheered

Chloé gave a little mock courtesy and walked back over to their set-up, "Thank you, thank you."

"So, who's excited about the homecoming party?" Nathaniel asked

Marinette grinned, "I cannot wait until tomorrow! But Agreste, I swear to all of the gods in existence, if you blow this, it's keggers with kids all next year." Adrien rolled his eyes and lined up his shot. Once he swung, the ball just rolled not too far from him. Marinette shot her ball toward's Chloé's, both clacking.

"Really?"

"Yes." Before anyone could take another shot, Nathalie came outside with a tray of croissants and set them down on the table sitting on the patio

"Nathaniel, your dad's here to get you," she said.

With a nod, Nathaniel turned to Marinette and Chloé, "You guys want a ride?" They nodded and headed off, saying their goodbyes to Adrien. Nathaniel took Marc's hand and walked him out of the yard.

"Those kids seem nice," Nathalie commented as Adrien made his way over to the patio and sat down next to her. "It's nice that you're making more friends, Adrien."

"Yeah," he nodded, "they're pretty nice. Though, I still can't tell with Marinette and Chloé are dating."

She chuckled, "Has anyone at school caught your eye?" She asked before taking a bite out of a croissant.

Adrien smiled. Nathalie was like a mother figure to him, someone he could come to about anything. When he told her about his crush on Kagami, she actually gave him the talk. He was traumatized for a while but soon got over it. She even helped to convince his father that Adrien should go to normal school so he could gain social skills. She was the best.

"Well... There's a dark horse in the running," he replied, thinking about Luka. He and his blue hair, that charming tune he'd play on his guitar. How that guy is still single, he'll never know. Maybe Luka will ask him to the party... Or he could ask him.

She smirked, "Well, I'll have to meet this 'Dark Horse.'"

He should've asked him. The day went by and now it was the night of the big homecoming party. Luka hadn't asked Adrien if he wanted to go together, and Adrien was too busy to ask himself. He had a photoshoot, fencing, he was swamped. He, Marinette, and Chloé's took the latter's limo to a convenience store before going to Nathaniel's to pick him and Marc up.

"Don't forget the corn nuts!" Marinette yelled through an open window as Adrien walked into the store.

"BQ or plain?" He yelled back

"BQ!" She yelled before sitting back in the car and fixing her makeup. The ribbons holding her pigtails were now holding up two space buns. She wore a black overalls dress over a blue off-the-shoulder sweater with grey tights and a pair of black kitten heels. Chloé hair was out of its ponytail and curled. She wore a yellow blouse with a white skirt, black tights, and black pumps. Adrien wore a black leather jacket over a green v-neck shirt, black skinny jeans, and black converse sneakers.

Adrien went into the store and looked through the aisle for Marinette's corn nuts, found them, then went to grab himself a pack of lifesavers. After paying, he heard a familiar voice, "You gonna get a super-chug with that?"

It was the hot mystery boy who could throw a punch, Luka Couffaine.

Adrien smiled back at him, "No, but maybe if you're nice, I'll let you buy me a slushie. You seem to know your convenience-lingo very well."

"Yeah," he shrugged, "Dad moves us around a lot. I've been to Britain, Denmark, Cyprus... Now France. No matter where I am there's always been a nice little convenience store. Any place, any time, you can always grab yourself a drink, smell the hot dogs on the grill... It keeps me sane like my music."

"You play beautifully... That thing you pulled in the caf’ was pretty severe.”

Luka smirked, “Yeah? Well, the extreme always seems to make an impression.” Adrien chuckled. Luka eyed the slushie machine for a bit before asking, “Did you say a cherry or coke slushie?”

”I didn’t,” he smiled. Then after a short pause, he said, “Cherry.”

After Luka bought him his slushie, they went outside where he showed Adrien his motorcycle. It was blue to match his hair and there was enough room for someone to wrap their arms around him and ride on the back.

“Cool bike.”

”Thanks,” Luka said as he wiped the side of it with his sleeve, “Just another perk from my dad’s deconstruction company. You ever see his commercial?” He repeats the famous line, "‘Bringing every city to a higher state.’”

Adrien furrowed his brow until his eyes widened, “Oh my God! Your dad is Tamika Couffaine,” he said in astonishment, “It must be rough moving from place to place all the time."

He shrugged, “Everyone’s life has got static. Is your life perfect?

“Yeah, it’s wonderful,” Adrien said sarcastically with a roll of his eyes, “I joined the most popular clique in school while leaving my best friend to the dogs.” Luke chuckled. “So yeah, not great.”

”Do you like them?” Luka asked as he glanced over at the limo.

He nods, “It’s more like I tolerate them. They're nice... In their own way."

Marinette, wondering what's taking Adrien so long, rolls down the window and calls out, "Adrien! Wave bye-bye to hot guitarist, and let's motor!"

He blushed, “Oh God, uh, I gotta go.” He runs to the limo and shoots Luka one last smile before he gets in and the driver takes them to the party.

Once they get their snacks and drinks, Chloé's driver drops her, Marinette, and Adrien at Jean's house just as Nathaniel and Marc arrived in Nathaniel's sleek, red Porsche. Nathaniel wore a red jacket with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows over a black vest and a white-collared shirt with black pants, and Marc wore a red halter top with a black leather jacket, black jeans, and red sequined flats.

When they walked in, the party was in full effect.

"Primaries!" Jean greeted with a grin, "Parent's ain't home tonight! Enjoy yourselves! Drink, smoke, it's all cool! Hell, jump right in my pool!"

Adrien had no idea what he was doing right now. This was his first entire-school party, so he was a little intimidated, especially with everyone trying to flirt with him because he was basically royalty now. He just followed the Primaries around and did as they did while observing what everyone was doing. One student punched a wall, making a small hole that they covered with a painting, a group of theater kids were rubbing each other's backs, and some even got into the easy-to-open liquor cabinet. Nathaniel then led Adrien over to a punch bowl surrounded by lime slices and some salt cubes.

Off his confused look, Nathaniel explained, "This is tequila. What you wanna do first is lick the back of your hand and sprinkle some salt onto the area." Adrien does so. "Then lick the salt, take a shot, and bite the lime."

Adrien could barely hear him over the loud music. Did he say lime before shot? With a shrug, Adrien went with his gut and did salt, then lime, and then shot. Nope, it was salt, shot, then lime. His throat was burning!

Nathaniel rolled his eyes, "I told you, it was salt, then shot-"

"You did it wrong!" Chloé groaned.

"Are you sure?" He asked, "'Cause I'm feeling great!" Adrien just felt so loose and free right now. It was probably the tequila. Or maybe that joint someone blew in his face. He didn't care; Adrien just loved this feeling and didn't want it to stop! A guy and girl even smiled at him without a trace of mockery like usual. He even got to take a puff of an actual joint. First-hand is WAY better than second-hand. Finally, no one's laughing at him. He's not alone or afraid. He felt Jagged Stone at Live Aid!

Still high and a little drunk, Adrien stumbled into the bathroom, not sure why, but he just went wherever his stoned brain told him to go. When he was in, he pulled back the shower curtain and his eyes nearly bulged out of his skull, "Is this third base?"  
In the tub was Jean and a redheaded boy with green eyes. Both were shirtless and palming each other through their pants. They looked up and the blonde and blushed. He shrugged, "That actually looks like fun. You do you, dudes!" He shot them finger guns and walked out of the bathroom to enjoy the rest of the party.

Two football players in their letterman jackets stood at the top of the staircase with a fox pinata holding a sign that says "VADIM FOXES". The first one yelled, "Alright, people! Listen up!" They turned their attention to him and the other, "Now... What is Dupont gonna do to Vadim at Sunday's game?!"

The other jock smirked and grabbed the back end of the fox pinata before miming sex with it, "Gonna make 'em go WEE! WEE! WEE! WEE!"

Chloé rolled her eyes, "Way to show maturity!" One very drunk football player hooks his arm around her waist and starts giving her the same treatment the other two jocks gave that poor pig. "Quit it, jackass! Get off of me!"

Adrien frowned and stormed over to the two. He tapped the jock's shoulder, getting his attention, "Dude, I just saw the Rossi Class trying to sneak in over the pool fence! I think they're gonna steal the beer!"

With an angered grunt, he got off of Chloé and went to find them, yelling, “I’ll find you little pricks!”

”Hey, are you okay?”

With a smirk, Chloé said, “I didn’t need your help, Agreste.” She held up his middle finger.

Adrien snarked, “Aw, Chlo-Chlo, that’s sweet. But I don’t need to vomit right now!” He chuckled loudly before going to dance with a few people. He felt badass, like nothing could stop him!... But then...

”The Rossi Class, here in the flesh?” Marinette mused.

Chloé snickered, ”Here comes the outcast squad.”

Nathaniel pointed, ”Look who’s with them, oh my God!”

Adrien looked and saw Nino trailing behind the Rossi Class, clearly nervous and having no idea what to do. He wondered why no one was kicking them out, but then he figured were probably too drunk and too stoned to notice them. When he saw Alya pushing Nino so he slammed against a wall before walking away, he frowned and walked over to him.

He smiled, ”Hey Nino.”

Nino looked up at the kind, familiar face and smiled back, “Hey, dude.”

”God, where’s Jean?!” Alya groaned.

Adrien tried not to laugh. Jean is a bit... Preoccupied at the moment.

Nino rolled his eyes before taking a look at Adrien’s disheveled appearance. “Dude, did you get drunk or something?”

”Uuh... Maybe?”

He chuckled, wrapped an arm around Adrien and walks him into the kitchen, “Let’s get you some water.”

Marinete smiled as the two went off together before glancing back to the Rossi Class. Most of them were chugging every beer bottle in sight while ignoring the annoyed looks of the other partygoers. Alya went around looking for Jean and Lila for Adrien. Rose even cheered about bringing sparkling cider.

”I gotta admit, showing up here took some guts,” she said before glaring at them, “Time to rip them out.”

”Mari, lemme ask you something,” Chloé said as she walked over to her holding up the fox piñata that was meant to be a mockery of Vadim’s mascot. “Who does this fox remind you of?”

They laughed when they realized what Chloé meant and walked off with the piñata. Little did they know that a certain skater was watching them.

Alya was wandering around the party, ignoring the drunken antics of her classmates while occasionally taking a few shots. She finally found Jean, walking out of the bathroom and smoking a cigarette. She flipped her hair and strutted over to him, “Jean, hey! Great party!”

He furrowed his brow, “Strange, I don’t remember inviting you OR your classmates.”

Alya leaned up against him and stroked his chest, “Come on, I know you sent that note-“

Repulsed, he backs away, “What note? Why would I send you anything?” He storms off in a huff to go try and enjoy the rest of the party.

In the kitchen, Adrien was downing a cup of water to ease his hangover while Nino kept him steady due to him staggering so much.

”How are you doing?” He asked.

Adrien lowered the cup and sighed, “Better.” He looked to Nino and smiled, “I didn’t know you were coming.”

He looked down and chuckled, “Yeah, I didn’t think I was coming either. Then I heard the class saying they were invited and I wanted to see what that was all about. I’m glad I came because you were five second away from passing out.”

“Well, thank you for being my knight in shining hoodie.” He tugged on the jaw strings of Nino’s blue hoodie with a pastel rainbow, making him laugh. “So... You doing okay?”

”Nope,” he sighed. “I found my headphones in the toilet.”

Adrien frowned, “Dude, I’m sorry.”

”Hey, it’s fine. Karma will catch up to them some day.”

”Yeah...” Adrien rests his head on Nino’s shoulder, “Hopefully soon.”

As the heat rose to his cheeks, Nino lifted Adrien’s head up off of his shoulder and cupped his face in his hand. He looked into Adrien’s eyes that are a little red from the weed, and the two just stayed like that for a moment. Adrien set the cup down on the kitchen counter and wrapped both of his hand around Nino’s waist while Nino did the same with his neck. They leaned in slowly and started puckering their lips. Their lips were an inch away from touching before they heard, “ALRIGHT, DUPONT!” and they quickly moved their faces away from each other. They unwrapped their arms and put them at their sides, embarrassed.

Adrien cleared his throat, ”Y-you wanna go check that out?”

”Heh. Yeah.” He speedwalked out of the kitchen, and disappeared into the crowd.

With a sigh, Adrien followed him, only to be stopped by, “ADRIBOO!” ‘Kill me.’

”Eyes on me, people!” Marinette yelled for attention as she stood at the top of the stairwell with Chloé and Marc, “Time to celebrate our upcoming victory against those foxes over at Vadim!” The crowd cheered, “Yeah, that’s right! Go us! We will celebrate by whacking the guts out of the piñata!” Once again, the crowd went into a frenzy. Marc hands her a baseball bat and a sleeping mask, “Now, we need a volunteer...” She looks around in the crowd until her eyes land on, “Rossi! Come on up!”

Adrien, with Lila clinging to his arm, snaps to attention. Finally. She was cutting off circulation.

Her classmates and a few others cheered for her as she made her way up the stairs. Adrien noticed Max tapping her on the shoulder real quick before whispering something to hear. She smirked sinisterly, much to Adrien’s confusion, and made her way up the stairs with a fake pleasant smile.

”Thank you so much!”

Chloé tried not to gag before saying, “Let’s show this girl some DuPont spirit!” Everyone cheered again, “Lila, you ever been to a party this amazing?”

”Oh, of course!” Then she told another one of her grand lies, “Once Clara Nightingale texted me and-“

”Okay!” Marinette shouted before slipping the sleeping mask over her eyes and shoving the bat in her hands, “Let’s do this! Hit the fox!”

Everyone joined, “Hit the fox! Hit the fox!”

Nathaniel walked out of a room with the fox piñata, only now it had been crudely outfitted to resemble Lila: wig, eyes drawn green, and a sign that read ‘LIE-LA ROSSI’. Adrien could not hold back a laugh. This was truly karma at its finest. He looked around and saw that the Rossi Class had stopped laughing except for Max, Kim, and Alix, who were smirking like they had a plan. He saw Alix glancing over at Nino before looking back at Lila

’What are they planning?’ Adrien wondered to himself.

Once they hung up the piñata, Lila started hitting the it, the students laughed as she did. Adrien furrowed his brow. Her swings were so precise, almost like... What is going on? He took a closer look at the rope holding up the piñata and noticed that a section of it seemed a little thin compared to the rest, like someone had tried cutting it.

... Oh God. He ran up the stairs.

”WHAT IS YOUR DAMAGE, AGRESTE?!” Marinette screamed as she, Chloé, Nathaniel, and Marc fought Adrien for the Piñata. The Primaries chased after him once he finally got it away from them.

”Adrien!”

”Get back here!”

”What the hell?!”

He eventually made to the backyard where he tossed the piñata into the pool with a loud splash. He watched as it dissolved to reveal that there was guacamole from the snack table inside.

’That could’ve been Nino.’

Marinette stormed over to him, “Adrien! What the hell?! What was it, huh? Some sort of plan to take us down? Was everyone in that cult in on it?”

”Forget this!” He starts to walk away. Marinette stops him by grabbing his wrist and squeezing it hard.

”Come Monday, you’ll be lower than a nobody! Not even the Rossi Class will touch you. Transfer to Vadim. Transfer to Lycee Alquet. No one at DuPont’s going to let you play their reindeer games.”

Suddenly, Adrien vomits all over Marinette’s shoes. Everyone watching from the doorway leading outside made noises of disgust. Marinette gasped with anger, “I JUST bought these! I raised you up from nothing. And what’s my thanks? Puke!”

Adrien wipes his mouth and sneered at her, “Lick it up, baby! Lick. It. Up!”

Regaining her composure, Marinette kicked off her puke-covered shoes and said, “I know who I’m eating lunch with on Monday. Do you?”

This hits Adrien like a hammer. He looks to the crowd, seeking an ally or a kind face. Everyone, even the Rossi Class look away, wilting under Marinette’s unwavering glare. She suddenly beams, “Okay, party people! Where’s the dam keg!”

Everyone cheers and the party resumes. Adrien sighed and walked out through the back gate. He didn’t notice Nino staring at him longingly from the doorway.


	4. Dead Boy Walking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Little PSA. If someone’s drunk, don’t have sex with them. Okay?... Got that? Even if they say yes, that’s just the alcohol talking.
> 
> Also, this is a little short

Still in his drunken state, Adrien wanders around town, trying to make it home without bumping into anything. He was drunk, but not enough to not be able to navigate his way home. Who did those bitches think they were? Marinette promised him that Nino wouldn't get hurt; he was just trying to keep his friend from being humiliated! But no, the Rossi Class just had to find out about The Primaries' plan and tamper with the pinata. Max probably told Rossi to hit it at a certain angle and get that stuff all over Nino when it was supposed to get on her! Now everyone at school thinks he's part of that cult...

Adrien arrived back at the mansion and walked around to the side of his home. Growing on the side of the mansion were some green vines that reached up to the roof. He climbed them until he was halfway up before he stopped by a tree branch that extended to his bedroom window. Carefully, he jumped onto the branch and slowly shimmied to the window that was slightly open. Once in his bedroom, he stormed over to his bed and flopped down with an angry huff. He reached under his pillow, pulled out his diary, and just vented.

_Dear Diary,_

_Fuck. Those. Bitches. Every last one of them! I can't tell if this is me or the alcohol and weed talking, but... UGH! Screw them all! Screw 'em! Screw Marinette, screw Chloe, screw Nathaniel, screw Marc even though he didn't really do anything, screw those dicks in Rossi's cult! All except for that cute guy in the blue-_

Frustrated, Adrien chucked his diary at his Pac-Man game console. He lied back down on his bed, hoping that his massive headache would go away.

"Tryna blow off some steam?" Adrien's eyes shot open when he heard that voice. There was Luka, crawling in through the still open window, "Dreadful etiquette. I apologize," he said with a chuckle.

Adrien's lips curled into a strained smile, "It's fine," he said before looking down at his feet.

Luka frowned, "No you're not." He crawled over the windowsill and into the room. He sat down next to the blonde on his bed. "You can tell me, Adrien..."

At those words, Adrien burst into tears, threw his arms around the guitarist, and buried his face in the crook of his neck. In response, Luka wrapped his arms around him and combed his hair using his fingers. "Adrien, what happened?" When he didn't say anything, Luka sighed and lifted Adrien's head up out of his neck and smiled tenderly at him, "Your croquet stuff is set up out back. Care for a round?"

After a few rounds of croquet, Adrien and Luka's clothes were flung into different areas of the field. Only their boxers remain. Now the two boys were snuggling by the koi bond and using Luka's trench coat for warmth.

"Come on," Adrien slurred, "one more game."

Luka chuckled and kissed his forehead, "You're drunk, pretty boy. Let's wait until you're sober next night."

Adrien smirked, "Oh, there's gonna be a night? Thank you." He snuggled further into Luka's toned chest.

"Thank you for introducing me to the wonders of strip croquet."

"You're welcome. It's a whole lot better than just flinging clothes all over the yard and then boning away on a neighbor's swing set," Adrien remarked.

"Such language from such a sweet boy." Adrien giggled as he kissed his forehead. "Plus, there's a lot to be said for flinging off your- ow!" Adrien nipped his neck, making both of them laugh.

Adrien sighed, "You know... My dad actually wanted to put me in Lycee when I was still in College. 'Cause I was like... Supposed to be this genius. But my mom. Before she left. She and Nathalie were able to convince him to chuck the idea because I'd have trouble making friends, blah, blah, blah." He rolls his eyes, "Now I use my grand IQ to pick out clothes, choose the perfect smile to use during photo shoots, plan the downfall of my enemies... It's awesome."

"Aw, Sunshine," Luka cooed before kissing his head. "Why don't you just kill 'em? The Primaries, Rossi. Destroy the hierarchy." Adrien, still drunk and stoned out of his mind doesn't think about what he just said.

"Shut up, murder doesn't solve anything. Let's just stay here, grow up, be adults, and then die." He let out a yawn and drifts off the sleep. In his sleep, he muttered, "But before that, I want to see Marinette Dupain-Cheng puke her guts out."


	5. Me Inside of Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Oh, the cops! I can't believe this is my life! Oh my God! I'm gonna have to send my SAT scores to San Quentin instead of Stanford!”
> 
> -Veronica Sawyer

"Hey, dick." Adrien shot up from his peaceful sleep at the sound of the familiar voice. Standing in front of him in her usual royal blue blazer was Marinette. He looked around for Luka, hoping for some protection, but he was nowhere in sight.

"How did you get here?!" The gates were locked; how was she here?

"I'm like oxygen, I'm everywhere." Her eyes trailed his bare chest. "Really, Agreste? You actually slept with him? Damn, Agreste. When Juleka _Couffaine_ ," she put a lot of emphasis on the goth girl's last name to remind Adrien that she and Luka were sister and brother. "hears about this, who knows what that cult will do to you? Probably kill you for cheating on _poor little Lila,_ " she taunted.

"Why are you so determined to ruin my life?!"

She smirked wickedly, "Because it'll be so very.” The last word echoed as a thick cloud of fog engulfed the two.

.

.

.

"AAAHH!" Adrien shot up from his sleep, panting and shaking violently. He looked around and saw that he was still in the backyard. And Marinette wasn't there. It was just Luka, looking at him with concern. The walls of the mansion were thick so his father, Nathalie, and his bodyguard wouldn't hear him and run outside to see what was wrong and find the two boys in their current position.

"Adrien, it's okay," Luka held the shaking blonde in his arms, "Bad dream?"

"Yeah," he groaned then looked at himself and Luka, "Did we...?"

"No, but you _really_ wanted to go there," Luka chuckled. "Slapping and hair-pulling? That's kinda hot."

Embarrassed, Adrien smacked the blue-haired boy's arm, "Oh my God! I gotta get my clothes on and go." He got up from his spot next to Luka and went around looking for his clothes. His shirt was in the bushes, his pants were hanging off of a statue, and his jacket was lying in the grass. Luka watched him gather his clothes with a confused look.

"Where are you going, exactly?" He asked as Adrien started putting his clothes on.

"Marinette's house," he answered as he put on his jeans, "I need to apologize."

"But I thought you-"

"I know what I said!" He exclaimed, "It was an amazing fantasy, a world with The Primaries, the Rossi Class not bothering me to try and date Lila. A world where I can be free and..." He sighed as he looked around for his shoes, "But now it's morning and I have to go kiss her aerobicized ass or face the horrors of DuPont on Monday." He finds his shoes behind a tree and slips them on.

"Well, let me go with you," Luka offered, then went around the field looking for his clothes. “Y’know, for backup,” he added.

Adrien looked surprised for a moment before smiling, “Really?”

“Yeah,” He nods as he slips on his jeans. “… For backup.”

“... Thank you.” 

Thirty minutes later (Most of them spend finding Luka’s clothes), and they arrived at the Dupain-Cheng home/bakery. It looks small, yes, but the home is actually four-stories and a lot bigger once you’re inside. First it’s the bakery, then the living room and kitchen, a dining room, the master bedroom, and then Marinette’s room at the very top.

Tom and Sabine’s luxury cars were nowhere in sight, and there was no way Marinette would let them in, so, Luka dug through his hair until he pulled out a bobby pin that kept some of his bangs out of his face and started picking the lock. In just twenty seconds, the door was unlocked, and the two made their way inside.

Once they were out of the bakery and in the main house, Luka stared in awe at the living room. He recognized some of furniture from the home living magazines his mom often read and fantasized about owning, but were WAY too expensive. That single pristine white couch probably costs more than his home.

”Come on,” Adrien told Luka then lead all the way through the house until they made it to the floor hatch separating them from Marinette’s room.

”You really know your way around,” Luka remarked.

”Yeah,” Adrien shrugged, “her parents don’t really care about her bringing guys over.” Off his confused look, he explained, “She has zero straight guy friends.”

They shared a laugh before Adrien knocked on the hatch, “Marinette?... Marinette?” He knocks again.

There’s some groaning and a slight creaking sound like she’s just getting out of bed. She must be hungover from the party. Finally, she responded drowsily, “What?”

“It’s Adrien, I’m here to apologize.”

She laughed, “Hope you brought kneepads, dick! Fix me a Prairie Oyster and I’ll think about it.”

“Prairie Oyster? What is in that?” Adrien lists the ingredients in his head, “Oh, okay. Come on.” He takes Luka’s hand and pulls him downstairs to the kitchen. He looks through the cabinets and fridge for the ingredients before placing them on the counter, “Raw eggs, vinegar… Hot sauce, Worchester, salt, and pepper.”

Luka let out a long whistle, “You know your hangover cures.”

Adrien beamed, “My bodyguard trained me in case I ever went to a party without father knowing.” He grabs a cup out of the China cabinet and starts pouring in the ingredients, “Look, look, look, look, look. Here’s my revenge. I’m gonna put a flemglobber in her Prairie Oyster and she’ll never know.”

As Adrien struggles to come up with enough spit, Luka looks under the kitchen sink and rifles through the different cleaning sprays and old rags before coming across a blue bottle.

“I’m more of a no-rust-buildup man myself,” he said as he set the bottle down on the counter, startling Adrien when he saw the label. It was drain cleaner.

“Oh, okay,” Adrien chuckled nervously, “Don’t be a dick. That stuff would kill her.”

“Thus, ending her hangover!” He shrugged then poured the drain cleaner into a glass, “I say, we go with big blue.”

Adrien tensed a bit at that, “You can’t just go- It would kill her.” He starts stirring the hangover cure, avoiding eye-contact with Luka, “Besides, she would never drink something that looks like that.”

“Right...” He looks through the above cabinets and pulls out a mug that looks similar to the one Adrien is mixing the drink in, “We use a mug,” he grabs the glass and starts pouring the drain cleaner into the mug, “That way, she’ll have no idea what she’s drinking.”

Adrien hesitates as Luka slides the mug towards him. With a smirk, he says, “Chicken. Bawk, bawk, bawk, bawk, bawk.”

“No,” Adrien said with a shake of his head at Luka’s attempt to make a joke out of something so awful, “you’re not funny.”

Seeing that Adrien isn’t amused, Luka stops, “Okay. I’m sorry.” He held Adrien’s hand and smiled at the slightly shorter boy. The two leaned in for a kiss, only to be interrupted by

“PRARIE OYSTER! CHOP CHOP ASS-GRESTE!”

Adrien groaned, “I prayed no one would ever think of that.” Before he leaves, he kisses Luka and reaches for the mug, only he grabs the wrong one. Once they pull away, Adrien heads up to Marinette’s room. Luka smirked until he saw the Prarie Oyster mug still sitting on the counter. Adrien took the drain cleaner mug.

Luka called out, “Adrien, you...”

“What?” He called back. Luka looked back at the mug with a dark expression. “…Nevermind.” He grabs the mug and pours the contents into the sink. He follows Adrien up to Marinette’s very... Pink room.

’I guess blue is just her uniform color,” he thought to himself as he looked around at the many outfits she’s designed hanging on a metal rack. Each one had a sticky note stuck to it with different celebrities names written on- Jagged Stone, Clara Nightingale, XY... Ronald and Nancy Reagan?

“Good morning, Marinette,” Adrien said as politely as could and made his way up the ladder leading to her bed. There, she laid in her silk pink robe with black and white hibiscus flowers stitched on.

“Aw, Adrien… and Jesse James,” she cooed before turning serous, “Well, let’s get to it. Beg.”

Adrien gulped, “Okay, um. I think that last night we both said a lot things that we didn’t mean-“

“Understatement,” she huffed.

“Hey, I was trying to keep Nino from getting humiliated!” He exclaimed angrily, “I saw Max talking to Lila before she went up to whack the piñata, then Alix and Kim had these looks on their faces, the rope was slightly cut, I-I just knew something was going on!

Looking thoughtful for a moment, Marinette took the mug out of his hands. “Really?”

He sighed with relief, “Yes, I was trying to tell you that-“

She seethes with pain, “Agreste. Hangover. Gimme a minute.” She starts drinking the contents in the mug. Her eyes bulged for a moment then she starts hacking and gagging violently. She drops the mug onto the floor, causing it to shatter, then grabs her throat with one hand, and slaps Adrien’s chest with the other as if asking for help but Adrien doesn’t know what to do, he’s freaking out. Finally, the violent coughing stops. Adrien reaches for her hand.

”Marinette?” He asked worriedly.

Finally, she speaks, “Corn... Nuts.” Then she falls out of her bed and right down to the hard floor at Luka’s feet. Adrien looks down in horror

“... Holy shit!” Adrien rushes down the ladder and kneels by Marinette’s still body. He looks at the blue liquid spilled all over the floor while Luka feels her wrist and neck. “Oh my God. Oh my God! Don’t just stand there, call 911!”

Luka winced, “It’s a little late for that.”

In denial, Adrien shakes her body, trying to wake her up, “Mari! Mari!” A few tears stream down his cheek when she doesn’t wake up. “Marinette, please... Oh my God.” He covers his face with his hands and sobs, “Oh my God, I just killed my best friend!”

Feeling sympathetic for the blonde, Luka approached him and held the crying boy in his arms, “...And your worst enemy,”

“Same difference!” He yelled.

”What’ll we tell the cops?” Luka asked hysterically, “Fuck it if she can’t take a joke, Sarge?”

“I mean, the police are gonna think that I did this on purpose! Oh my God, they’re gonna have to send my SAT scores to La Santé!” Adrien cries harder, “I killed one of the most powerful people in Paris! I’m dead, Luka!”

“Yes, we killed her, and that’s a crime, but...” He paused for a moment, “What if _she_ was the one who killed herself?”

“... Excuse me?”

”What if we just... Faked her suicide?”

”... Luka,” he whispered in horror, “Oh my God!”

Luka looks around the room for a moment until he spots a pink sketchbook sitting on Marinette’s dresser. He gets up, walks over to the dresses and flips through the sketchbook, looking impressed at the many designs on the different pages until he finally found a blank one, “Alright, we need a pen.”

“Oh no,” Adrien murmured.

“Oh, yes.” He grabs a pencil out of one of her dresser drawers then places them in Adrien’s hands, “You can fake her handwriting! Just think. Long and hard. What would she say? What’s her- her final statement to a cold, uncaring planet?”

Adrien couldn’t wrap this around his head. Was he really about to do this? Was he really going to fake a suicide note written by one of the most powerful girls in the city?... The Country?... The World?! It was either that or face the death penalty. It seemed like well-deserved karma. No, he deserved worse. He deserved to die at the hands of Marinette’s parents... Oh, her parents. They’ll be so heartbroken when they learn their only child is dead. Maybe he should tell them. Oh God, he’s writing write now. There goes then pen, copying Marinette’s cursive handwriting and adding little hearts above every five or six i’s.

He turned to Luka and asked, “How does this sound so far?” He picked up the note and read what he had written,

_Dear World,_

_Believe it or not,_ _I know what it’s like to be afraid. I know the way loneliness stings.  
All my life, I’ve hid behind my talents, smiles, beautiful clothes. But in reality, __the world just held me down._ _It weighed like a concrete designer gown._

Luka nodded with approval, “Maybe put... To me, suicide was the only way to end my myriad of problems.”

Adrien thought it over, “That’s good. I-I can work it in somewhere.”

 _Just because your popular, people think you don’t have feelings._ _No one gets your insecurities._ _I wanted people to see that I was more than just shoulder pads, beautiful clothes, and makeup._ _But it’s too late. I died before people could see the real me._

 **Jesus, you're making me sound like Air Supply!**  
  
Adrien blinked when he heard that voice. It sounded like... He looked to Marinette. She was still lying lifeless on the floor. She’s dead. It was all in his head

“Keep going,” Luka said frantically, “This has to be good enough to fool the cops.” With a nod, Adrien continued writing until they had everything they needed for Marinette’s suicide note. After going over it three more times, they snuck out of the house.

An hour later, Tom and Sabine Dupain-Cheng returned from running their errands- Getting groceries, buying ingredients for their bakery, calling the managers at their other bakeries to see how business is going for them. It’s been a pleasant day so far. They walked into their home and made their way up to Marinette’s room. They expected to see her working on a new dress for the United States First Lady, but instead their little girl was on the floor. Dead. Tom cradled her body in his strong arms while Sabina fell to her knees and screamed at the Heavens.

After an hour of grieving for their child, they finally called the police, wanting to find out who murdered her.

An hour of investigating later, and Officer Roger found the note on the dresser. He read over it and felt a pain in his chest. He took a deep breath and made his way into the living room where the grieving couple were.

”Tom, Sabine, I uh... I found this.” He hands Sabine the note, and once she reads over it, she goes pale.

”Oh my God.” She breaks down into tears. Tom takes the note out of her hands and reads it. Again. And again. And again. He can’t believe it.

”My baby girl... How could I not notice this?”

 _No one couldn see past my rockstar mystique,_ _or_ _dare to look me in the eye._  
 _Underneath all the glitz and glamour was a terrified girl who just clung to her pillow and sobbed her heart out._ _My looks and popularity were just like a prison cell._ _They've left me a myriad of scars._  
  
Word got out that Paris’ darling had committed suicide. Jagged Stone and Penny Rolling wept over the loss of their precious niece and had only her clothes to remember her by. Clara Nightingale wouldn’t come out of her room for days and instead cried under her covers as she looked through photos of her and Marinette. XY mourned over the girl who gave him the inspiration to create his own songs instead of copying other musicians. He couldn’t believe she was gone. That girl was like his little sister. When Chloé, Nathaniel, and Marc heard the news, they cried, they screamed, they prayed for this to be a nightmare but no, it was real. The Rossi Class was conflicted. They hated Marinette and always wished the worse for her but... They weren’t sure what to think. Lila and Alya? They cheered.  
 **  
**

 _“I am more than just a source of fabulous clothes,”_ M. Damocles read to the staff in the teachers lounge, _“_ _No one sees the me inside of me."_

M. Haberkorn wept. Marinette always seemed so happy and upbeat, but to learn that she had these problems... It was horrifying. If he knew, he would’ve done something, talked to her.

Mme. Demeter Mendeliev sniffed as she grabbed another tissue. Marinette was one of her favorite students. She knew teachers weren’t supposed to have favorites, but it was true. Marinette was a sweet girl who was loved by all... Except a few. When she transferred to her class, she was thrilled. Now she’s gone.

Mme. Bustier didn’t know what to think. She always thought of Marinette as a problem student ever since Lila first came to her, bawling her eyes out and telling her that Marinette and her friends were bullying her non-stop. But now she realizes that it was just a cover-up for her own insecurities. It was a shame that she never got to apologize to Lila before she killed herself.

“Marinette Dupain-Cheng’s not your everyday suicide,” he said.  
  
“Monsieur, you should cancel classes,” Monsieur Armand D’Argencourt, the fencing coach told him, “Marinette is a beloved girl, practically the princess of this school. Her subjects need time to mourn.”  
 **  
**Damocles shook his head, “No way, Coach. I send the kids home before lunch and the switchboard'll light up like a Christmas tree.”

”We’re just gonna have to power through this,” Mme. Bustier piped up, “The students will just have to-“

Mendelieve snapped her head up, “Have to what, Caline?! A child died today! She killed herself!” She glared at the young teacher, prompting her to look away. M. Haberkorn rested his hand on the math and science teacher’s shoulder, helping her to calm down.

”Now look, I hate to pull out my counter-culture bonafides here, I really do,” he said with a bit of fire in his voice, “But what this school needs is a good old-fashion rap session.”

M. Haberkorn was all for helping students, the ones in his class, and the ones who weren’t. He prided himself on being their go-to when things get rough for them. Hearing that Marinette committed suicide made him feel like he wasn’t present enough in their lives, like he failed. He wanted to fix that starting now. “Now, I suggest we get everybody into the cafeteria and just talk and feel. Let them get their feelings out so this kind of thing can’t happen again. We need to know who else in this school had demons like Marinette.”  
  
M. Damocles sighed, “Haberkorn-“

“Have any of you really read Marinette’s suicide note?” Mendeleiev asked, more tears threatening to pour out. “It was... It was beautiful.”

_Box up my clothing for the donation bins,  
And give the poor my Nordic Track.  
Give my car to one lucky child, my favorite hats and CDs to those who want them more, and hell, give them my pumps, my flats, my TV, all of it._

M. Damocles choked back a sob, “Screw it. We’ll end classes early.”

Adrien tried very hard not to look guilty as he stood in the locker room with the two remaining Primaries and Marc. All were wearing black with some hints of their signature colors on the buttons and collars. Chloé was crying by Marinette’s locker and looking through all the photos she kept in there while Adrien consoled her. Marc stayed by Nathaniel’s side as he cried and devoured a turkey sandwich.

“I can’t... I can’t believe she’s gone. I-I should’ve d-done something.” Chloé wiped a few tears with her blazer sleeve then pulled a blue scrunchie out of Marinette’s locker and looking fondly at it, “And why the hell are we still in school? Everyone loved Mari!”

Rude laughter sounded out through the locker room. Nathaniel and Marc peered around the corner to see Alya and Lila laughing their asses off as they drew a mustache and devil horns on a picture of Marinette.

“Not everyone,” Marc muttered before his boyfriend immediately took another bite out of his sandwich.

Adrien said, concerned, ”Nath, maybe you should slow down-“

”I stress eat when I’m sad, Agreste!” He yelled then finished his sandwich before pulling a croissant out of his lunch bag and devouring half of it in a matter of seconds.

”Watch out, Nath,” Alix sneered as she walked to the door, “You might be digesting _food_ there. What happened to your ‘urge to purge’?” Nathaniel chucked what was left of his croissant at them, only for it to hit the closed door as she walked out.

“Nath, don’t listen to her,” Marc whispered to Nathaniel as he sobbed into his hands.

Adrien looked at the redhead sadly. He remembered, before joining The Primaries, how Nathaniel would always run to the bathroom after lunch and just throw up everything into the toilet. Lila and her cult teased him constantly for it, but Alix was the worst. Before Lila took over the class, Alix and Nathaniel used to be best friends. Now that’s over.

Chloé pulled something else out of Marinette’s locker and smiled, “Hey, one of Mari’s Swatches.” She looked to Adrien then back at the Swatch. “She’d want you to have it, Adrien.” Hesitantly, Adrien takes the watch out of her hands.

**Lose that and I’ll haunt you in your sleep**

Adrien went pale when he heard that voice again. Marinette was already haunting him during the day, he didn’t need her haunting him in his sleep.

”Uh,” a timid voice spoke. The four turned to see Mylène standing with Kim and Max. All three looked remorseful but The Primaries kept their guard up. “H-hi.” Mylène said, “We just... We’re sorry for your loss.”

”Guess we were wrong about her,” Kim piped up.

Max added, “We all were.” And the three of them left the locker room.

  
Mme. Mendeleiev read the note aloud to her class and fought back a few tears as she did.

_Many believe that a popular girl has no feelings-  
But I weep for all I failed to be. And maybe I can help the world by leaving.  
But sadly, no one will get to see the real me._

She grabbed another tissue and dabbed away the tears on her cheeks. “I just... I always find it hard to believe that something that came out of Bustier’s Class wrote something so profound and honest- No. Sorry. This isn’t the time.” She sighed, “Alright... I have made copies of her note so you all can read it, and... Maybe share your thoughts.”

She reaches for the stack of copies on her desk and goes down the row of desks, passing a note to each student.

”I’ll be honest, I sympathize with Caline’s class. She was never really for the idea of students expressing their emotions unless they were positive. I bet there’s at least one student in there who wants to share how they feel, but she’d probably give ‘em a box of tissues and just get on with the day.”

”Ain’t that the truth,” Aurore murmured.

Once the last note was passed, Mendeleiev made her way back to the front, “Okay. Is there anyone who would like to share how they feel?”

Mireille raised her hand before standing, “I... I never knew that this was how Marinette felt. She thought we couldn’t see the real her, I-I thought we did. She’s sweet and kind, but that was just a cover-up for all of her sorrow.”

“I actually had a small crush on her,” Jean spoke before holding the hand of the boy he made out with at his party, “I guess it was more of infatuation with... This sort of wall she built for herself to mask her insecurities.”

”And uh...” Aurore hesitated for a moment before speaking, “Maybe she still cared for Bustier’s class?” She looked to Chloé, as if asking for her permission. When she received a nod, she continued, “Maybe the part where she expresses how no one thinks the popular have feelings, that could be directed towards them.”

 _’She did have feelings,’_ Chloé thought to herself, _‘She still cared about those assholes.’_

“Adrien,” he froze when the purple-haired teacher called on him, “Would you like to say a few words?”

“... Uh, maybe Marinette realized that, uh, in order to be truly happy she had to give up her power. And the only way to do that was... death?”

**Wow, great cover-up, killer.**

’Quiet, you.’  
 _  
_“I think Marinette would be proud of you all. She’d relish in the fact that people are actually seeing the real her.”

**Oh my God, this is awesome! Heck, I’m bigger than Jagged Stone and Clara Nightingale combined!**

The bell rang. Students made their way to the cafeteria and a few discussed what went down today. Adrien was the last to leave. As he walked out, he swore he felt a cold chill go down his back. And he swore he saw Marinette smirking at him with her blue-stained mouth as he made his way to lunch.

  
“At times like these, negative people choose to focus on their grief. Well, I’m not like those people, because I’m a very positive person,” Lila was saying in a televised interview about how she knew Marinette. Lies.

”Change it,” Adrien said. Luka picked up the remote and flipped to another channel, showing Chloé on the screen.

”Mari and I... We were the same size clothes so sometimes we’d borrow each other’s and switch it up. It was nice.”

The screen shows Nathaniel and Marc next, “She was like my sister. She helped me get together with Marc, and...” Not having the heart to continue, he cries while Marc consoles him.

Adrien sighs, “Turn it off.” Luka switches the tv off. The two boys were sitting on the couch in the living room of the Couffaine houseboat. Adrien was a bit hesitant to get on an actual boat, but Luka was able to reassure him that it was completely safe... By wrapping his arms around him in a comforting manner.

”Damn, she’s more popular than ever,” Luka mused.

”Guess she wasn’t a total snatch,” Juleka muttered as she walked by and to her room.

Luka frowned, “Jules, that is not appropriate!” He chastised.

”You’re not appropriate,” she snapped back.

Luka’s frown turned into a smirk when someone walked in, “Why, son, I didn’t hear you come in.”

Adrien looked confused for a moment but then he saw him. Tamika Couffaine. The family resemblance was strong. Luka had a younger version of his facial features, Juleka had his eyes, and the two even got his loved for cool-color dyed tips. His were a nice emeral green that faded from black.

He spoke with an amused grin, “Hey, dad. How was work today?”

Adrien’s seen this sort of thing before- It’s reverse roleplay. Possibly the distorted application of a coping exercise learned long ago in court-mandated family therapy... Still going strong.

Tamika takes off his black denim jacket, hooks it on a coat rack, then stretches. He speaks as himself, “It was awful. Some damn crusade of withered old nutcases are tryin’ to stop me from blowing up some run-down hotel. All because a Chinese pop star, Ladybug and her backup dancers once took a shit there. Just like Marceille. You remeber Marceille?”

Adrien felt like he needed to leave right now. God, this is more tense than dinner with his father. Which only happens every Blue Moon... Every two Blue Moons... Okay, three! We can’t all have loving parents.

Luka shrugged, “The one with the all of those street fairs?”

”That’s the one.” Now as Luka, he speaks, “God, dad, I almost forgot to introduce my boyfriend, teen model slash Sunshine Boy of Paris, Adrien Agreste.”

Adrien felt all eyes on him. He gave a shy smile and wave, “Hi.”

”Adrien, this is my dad, Tamika Couffaine. Dad, this is Adrien,” he introduced, “but I guess you already knew that.”

Tamika chuckled, “How could I not? I see your face on every billboard I drive by.” Adrien blushed at the mention of his modeling job.

Now as Tamika, Luka says, “Hey, Sport, why don’t you ask your boyfriend to stay for dinner?”

Adrien, wanting to get out of here as quick as possible, stands up, leaving Luka’s warm embrace, “Actually, I better get home. I have a photo shoot tomorrow and father doesn’t like when I stay out too late.”

Luka nods, understanding, “Oh yeah. The one inspired by your mom. Y’know, the last time I saw my mom, she was sailing away on her boat, the Liberty. Right, dad?”

Suddenly, the room became tense. Tamika grins a you-think-you’re-tougher-than-me-but-you’re-not smile to Luka and nods, “Right son...”

Adrien wants to say something, anything to get him out of here but can’t. Salvation soon came in the form of a goth girl with purple hair, “I’m having some of my friends over later, can we not...” She waves her hand around the room, “... Do _this_ when they get here, please?”

”... Well, bye!” And Adrien was out of there.

_Dear Diary,_

_Luka’s dad will not be speaking at our wedding._

  
The day of Marinette’s funeral came. Adrien wore a black suit over a black button-up shirt with green buttons. He made his way into the church with his father, Nathalie, and his bodyguard, the Gorilla. You could tell that her death affected many, because there was a news crew filming everything for those from other countries who couldn’t make it. Sitting in the front pews were who you’d expect. Her parents, Wang Cheng, the famous chef and her uncle, Roland and Gina, her grandparents, Jagged Stone and Penny Rolling, Clara Nightingale, XY and his dad, Chloé, Nathaniel, and Marc.

Chloé waved him over and patted the seat next to her. As he walked down the aisles, he caught a glimpse of some of the students, teachers, and even the Rossi Class sitting sitting in the pews. Of course, Lila had to be inappropriate and wear a black virgin killer with a mini-skirt and high heels. Once at the front, Adrien had a clear view of Marinette’s body in her coffin. Her hair was curled, she was dressed in a pale blue dress, wearing a pearl necklace, and holding a bouquet of cherry blossoms.

”Oh, God,” he murmured. Chloé held his hand.

”It’s okay,” she whispered.

”I blame not Marinette,” the Pastor said, “But rather... A society that tells its youth that the answers can be found in the MTV video games. We must pray that the other teenagers in this city know the name of the righteous dude who can solve their problems. It’s Jesus Christ, and he’s in the book.”

”Amen,” everyone said, then went up to Marinette’s coffin to send her their prayers.

Chloé was first, _‘God, I’ll be honest, I’ve always hated funerals. But now I hate them more than ever. Mari was my best friend. More than... Her... Please, please make sure Marinette is doing okay in Heaven. Amen.’_

Then Nathaniel, _‘So, this is a Christian funeral... Okay. Why’d this have to happen to her? She’s one of the sweetest girls in the world and one of my best friends. I hope she’s doing okay with you in your Christian Heaven, making new robes for the angels. Amen.’_

Marc, _‘This girl was like my cousin, I can’t believe this is actually happening. I always prayed that people would just die peacefully of old age, but this? It’s horrible. Anyway, please allow Marinette to spend her time in Heaven without problems, in Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.’_

Lila, _‘I prayed for the death of Marinette many, many times. And yes, I felt a twinge of guilt, but I kept doing it anyway. But now I know you were listening the whole time. Praise Jesus, Hallelujah!’_

Alya, _‘Would I make me a terrible person if I wished the same fate on the other Primaries?... Just send me a sign if it’s okay. Amen.’_

Then finally, Adrien, _‘Hi, I’m sorry. Technically I did not kill Marinette Dupain-Cheng- Ah, who am I trying to kid, right? I just want my high school to be a nice place. Amen.’_

Finally, the funeral was over. Adrien could not handle looking at Marinette’s pale skin for three whole hours and just wanted to go home.

Nathaniel tapped his shoulder, ”Hey, Adrien. Are you busy this weekend?”

He thought about it before shaking his head, “No, I’m free,” _‘For once.’_ “Why?”

”Well, me, Chloé, Marc, and maybe a few of our classmates were going to get together at the cemetery to honor Mari’s memory. You wanna come?”

Adrien looked pensive for a moment. He looked to his father who was talking to Marinette’s parents. The two locked eyes, and Adrien gestured to Nathaniel. As if reading his thoughts, Gabriel nodded before continuing the conversation.

”I guess I can go,” Adrien shrugged. “No one from the Rossi Class is gonna he there, right?”

Nathaniel shook his head, “Don’t worry. It’ll just be the people Marinette likes.” He gave Adrien a pat on the shoulder before walking to his car where Marc was waiting in the passenger side. Once settled in, the two shared a kiss and Nathaniel drove away.


	6. Blue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another PSA: Again, don't take advantage of drunk people. AND don't force sex on people.

It was night time at the Agreste mansion. Adrien was in his room, getting dressed and ready to head to the cemetery. Now he has to stand there in front of Marinette's headstone, say some nice words, pour Thunderbird on her grave, and act as innocent as possible. He has on a simple green hoodie with black jeans and black boots. He pins his crown lapel on one of the jaw strings. Just as he’s about to head out, his telephone rings on his desk. He answers, “Hello?”

“Adrien? I need help!” It was Nathaniel, “I’m at the cemetery!” He was panicking.

Adrien asked, “What’s wrong?”

“Just hurry up, please! It’s an emergency!”

”O-okay, calm down-“ Nathaniel hung up. Adrien quickly rushed out of the mansion and Gorilla drove him to the cemetery to see what all the commotion was.

”I’ll call if there’s trouble,” Adrien told his bodyguard. With a nod, he drove away. Adrien took a deep breath and walked deep into the cemetery, wondering what sort of horrors he’ll see. Maybe Marinette rose from her grave as a zombie and is now going to wreak her unholy vengeance on him.

There, he finds Chloé in her yellow sports car. Next to the car is Lila, passed out on the ground. He runs up to Chloé, avoids Lila, and knocks on the window. She rolls it down and says in a relieved tone, “Thank God you’re here!”

Adrien points to Lila, “Is she okay?”

Chloé glared at her, “She passed out. Me, Nath, and Marc came out to pour a jug of Thunderbird on Mari’s grave. You know, from her homies. But Lila and Alya showed up drank it all. Then they spiked Marc’s water and wouldn’t stop touching him, then Alya dragged him off somewhere and now I think Nathaniel’s gonna kill her.”

‘Better her than me if he ever found out what I did.’

Adrien furrowed his brow and looked around, “So, where’s Nath, Marc, and Alya?”

“GET YOUR HANDS OFF OF HIM!” Nathaniel yelled from a distance.

Chloé smirked, “There he is.”

As Adrien walks to the source of the enraged voice, Lila stood, clearly drunk, “Adriboo… I waited ten whole beers for… Oh, God.” She throws up on a nearby headstone before passing out again. Adrien gives her arm a little kick, making sure she hasn’t died from alcohol poisoning. When her arm moves a little, he sighed with relief.

”Bitch can’t handle her alcohol,” Chloé snarked. "Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous."

Nathaniel arrived, pulling a staggering Marc away from a very drunk Alya who was being dragged across the dirt as she gripped onto his ankle.

“Goddamnit, Alya!” Nathaniel kneels down and tries to pull Alya’s hand off of Marc’s ankle, “Get off of him!”

“Come on,” Alya groaned, “don’t walk away! He made the first move, Nath!”

”He’s gay, you drunk!” Nathaniel finally separated Alya from Marc’s ankle. Seeing him about to fall, Nathaniel picks Marc up bridal style and carries him to Chloé’s car, “Come on, I’ll fix you a Prarie Oyster later. Chloé, unlock the door." Chloé unlocks the door and Nathaniel quickly sets Marc in the back before getting in. He shuts the door just as Alya got back up. "Hey!" She yelled and pounded on the window, “You can’t leave him like that! Ugh… You’re causing physical pain in his “area”. It’s science, he needs relief!” Nathaniel promptly flipped her off.

Lila gets up, her legs shaking. She manages to stay upright, points to Adrien and Alya turns to him, only just now noticing that he was there. She smirks, "Hey, Adrien…" She tugs on the hem of her crop top, showing off her cleavage.

Adrien holds in his vomit, not wanting another "Party incident". "Um, I’ve got a left hand-," he said nervously, "I can use it." Before he can back away, Lila grabs his arm, "Don’t talk mean like that!"

Alya adds, "You’ll hurt their feelings."

He frowns, "Wait, whose feelings? What are you talking abo-"

"You know what," Lila said, trying to sound sexy. But it was hard with the alcohol affecting her speech and making everything come out slurred. "You're gonna give yourself blue ba-"

Horrified, Adrien pushed the girl off of him before she could finish that sentence, "Oh my God!" He runs over to Chloé's car and tries to open the door, but it's locked. He yelled in a panicked voice, "Chloé, open the door! Right now!"

"Lead them away from here!" She yelled back. "I don't want them trying to get in!"

"But-" He's cut off by Alya pressing up against his back, "Help me!"

"Oh, I'll help you," she whispered as her hands trailed to his lower region. Adrien whirls around and tries to get him off of her, but he takes his hand and forces it under her top. "Fuck, your hands are cold." Adrien cringes when he notices that she's not wearing a bra. "Come on, you know like them," she purred.

"Let go!" He snatches his hand back, and at the same time causing Alya's top to lower a little bit more until there's some skin pouring out. He looks away in embarrassment, "God, even if I were interested in either of you, which I'm not, I wouldn't do this while you're fucking drunk!" He hears tapping on the glass and turns his head around. Big mistake. With him distracted, Lila, bent over, presses up against his pelvis and keeps going back and forth.

Nathaniel rolls down the window a little and slides a bottle of Thunderbird through, "Just throw this somewhere and we'll ditch 'em!"

"Is that even sa-AH!" Lila's cold fingers try to make their way into his pants. With a determined look, he turns to Nathaniel, "Fuck it." He grabs the bottle and holds it up, "Look. Booze. Drink!"

Lila grinned, "Thank you so much!" She and Alya run after the bottle that Adrien threw far away.

"You are so welcome," he said. Hearing Chloé unlock the car, he opens the door and quickly gets in the front passenger seat before Lila and Alya could come back. "Drive." With a nod, Chloé starts her car up and drives out of the cemetery.

Alya and Lila run back to where the car was. Both girls are taking turns chugging from the bottle.

"What the hell?!" Alya exclaimed once she finished taking a few sips, "You can't leave people out here, jackasses! God, screw Agreste! I didn't wear a bra for this?! Your boy toy's a dick!"

Lila snatches the bottle out of her hand, "D-don't worry," she takes a few sips, "I know how we can get back at him."

Adrien breathes a sigh of relief as Chloé drives down the trail. He looks in the rearview mirror and sees Nathaniel stroking Marc's hair as he mutters some incoherent stuff in his drunken state. "Wanna try again next weekend?" Chloé asked. "Maybe they won't crash it next time."

Adrien nodded, "Yeah. That'll work."

_Dear Diary,_

_Close call last night. Uh, the only person at DuPont who could actually control Alya and Lila was Marinette Dupain-Cheng. And she is dead._

Marinette's ghost appears in the seat next to Marc and Nathaniel. She starts coughing, **“Should’ve thought of that before you killed me.”** She gags, **“God. I’m going to be coughing up drain cleaner for eternity!”**

_I didn’t technically kill Marinette, and I know that, but I still feel bad. But… not as bad as I should? And that makes me feel even worse._


	7. Blue Reprise/Our Love is God

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Kurt and Ram had nothing to offer the school but date r*pe and AIDS jokes.”  
> -J.D.

Nino knows Adrien. He knows what he's like, and... Who he likes. There's no way he'd do that. Alya and Lila have to be lying, they just have to, that's what they're known for at school. May God have mercy when he shows up to school in the morning.

_"You don't really think he did that, do you?"_

_"Well, it's either we believe Agreste or Rossi."_

_"I... I don't know what to think."_

_"Even they wouldn't lie about something so serious."_

_"But he's not even straight."_

_"I heard that he's Bi. Didn't he have a crush on that fencer girl?"_

'What the hell?' Adrien thought to himself as he walked through the halls. Students and teachers alike were giving him odd looks and he didn't know why. It was so strange. And what's with all the whispering every time he walks by a group of students? Maybe Chloé or Nathaniel would know.

He walked into the Art classroom where he saw Nathaniel and Marc cleaning out Marinette's art locker. Every member of the art club had a small locker to hold any special projects they were working on and didn't want getting messed up or stolen right out of their main lockers since there were no locks on those.

"Hey, Nath."

The redhead and his boyfriend whirled their heads around and gave him nervous looks. "Oh. Hey, Adrien," Nathaniel greeted as he set some of Marinette's design sketchbooks down on a table.

"So, what's going on?" He asked, pointing to the sketchbooks.

"Just cleaning out Mari's locker," he answered. "Tom and Sabine wanted a couple of momentoes. Chloé's cleaning out her main locker right now."

"Oh, okay." He turns to Marc and asks, "Are you doing alright? From last night, I mean."

Marc nodded but immediately regretted it when his headache came back, "Still hungover, but I'm doing alright."

"Hey, guys," Chloé said as she walked into the room with a box full of stuff from Marinette's locker. Some included a blue cardigan, some hair ribbons, her sketchbooks, and a cute little ladybug plush, "Just finished cleaning," her voice trailed off when she looked up from the box and saw Adrien, "Oh... I thought you'd be hiding in your room."

Confused, Adrien arched an eyebrow, "What? Why would I be-"

"You haven't heard?" Marc asked, "Adrien, oh my God."

Now Adrien was getting worried, "What?! What is it?!"

"Okay, look," Chloé sets the box down and rests a hand on Adrien's shoulder, "Adrien, we were there; we know you didn't do anything. And the other students believe you, I mean... Some have their doubts, but-"

"Guys, what is going on?!"

The three of them are silent for a moment until Chloé speaks up just as Luka walks in with his guitar, "Alya and Lila have been telling the school about your little... 'Threeway' last night." They all waited for Adrien's reaction, but he's stunned into silence.

"Threeway?" Luka repeated. Adrien turned to him with a horrified expression. Luka's look softened a bit, helping Adrien relax

Adrien finally finds his voice, "But there was no threeway, nothing happened!"

"Adrien, we know that," Nathaniel reassured, "But no one else does. Look, a majority is on your side, but a few are hesitant to believe you, and then there's the Rossi Class. And since Lila's one of your dad's models, she could easily get the lie out there on any news platform. Point is... You may wanna hide out for a while."

Adrien hid his face in his hands and muttered, "Oh my God; what are they saying?"

Marc winced, "Well... They're saying that you were-"

"TOUCHING US UP AND DOWN!" Lila yelled from the courtyard.

"... Doing that."

The Primaries ran out of the classroom and looked over the railing where they saw Lila and Alya standing in the middle of the courtyard, surrounded by their classmates while the other students watched, some in disbelief, annoyance, or attentiveness. Adrien was horrified as he listened to what they were saying about him.

Rose gasped, "Did he hurt you?"

Alix seethed, "What a fucking pervert!"

"He poked and grabbed me," Alya cried. "I was so lucky to get out of there."

'You forced me to grab your tits!' Adrien yelled in his mind, 'And you tried to force your hand down my pants! Why am I not saying this out loud?!'

"Who knows? He could do the same to you!" Lila points to a scared Mylene. She falls into Ivan's protective embrace.

"God, he sounds like a freak!" Kim yelled.

"Then he... He tried to dry-hump us," Lila simpered, making her classmates go into feral-mode and look around for the blonde.

"Where is he?" Juleka asked.

Lila smirked as she pointed up at the second level of the school where The Primaries were standing, "Right there!" Then to fan the flames, she added, "I told him over and over I wasn't ready, but he didn't respect that! Alya tried to help me, but then he started feeling her up!" She whined, "It was awful!" The Rossi Class ran for the stairs while she and Alya watched with satisfied smirks.

"You should run," Chloé whispered to Adrien, and immediately, he took off. Luka ran after him with the Rossi Class hot on his trail. Adrien ran all around the school, wiping away his tears as he listened to the insults of the Rossi Class.

"You freak!"

"Go jump off a cliff!"

"Punk ass!"

"Psycho!"

"Perv!"

Adrien ends up in the library and runs into an alley of bookshelves where he cries silently to himself. He hears the door opening and cries harder, "Get out!" "Sunshine!" He recognizes the voice, "L-Luka?" The blue-haired boy peers around the bookshelf and lets out a gasp when he saw Adrien's tear-stained face, "Adrien..." He goes over to console him.

"THERE HE IS!"

Kim and Ivan go to fight Adrien, but Luka stands in their way. He picks a heavy book out from one of the shelves and whacks it across Ivan's face. He tries to do the same with Kim, but he sees it coming and grabs him by the wrist before punching him in the gut, knocking the wind out of him. Alix takes over, grabs the back of Luka's jacket, and slams him against a bookshelf multiple times. The vibrations caused a few books to fall off the shelves and hit Luka on the head. Seeing a cut on his forehead, Adrien leaps into actions and tries to fight them off in vain. Now he's in worse condition than Luka.

"You deserve this!"

"How dare you?!"

"You asshole!"

"ENOUGH!"

Mme. Mendleieve and M. Haberkorn stormed over and pried the fighting students off of Luka and Adrien. The two teaches dragged them out of the library while their classmates tried to explain what happened from their point of view. One person stayed behind, Juleka. She looked at her brother and Adrien with sadness and regret. She goes to approach them but is stopped by Luka's glare that tells her, 'Get the fuck away from me.' She leaves without saying another word.

"Sunshine?" He lifts up Adrien's head and gets a look at his bruised cheek, "Shit..."

"Are you okay?" He asks.

"Yeah," Luka nodded then asked, "What about you?"

Adrien choked back a sob and tried to smile, "Oh, yeah. No, I’m fine. I’m awesome." He starts crying, "I’m sorry about the waterworks, I’m just- God, I'm a mess right now..." He falls into Luka's embrace and hides his face in the crook of his neck, "I hate them so much..."

Luka frowned as he held Adrien tight in his arms. "Sunshine, it'll be okay. I hate seeing you cry, so I'm gonna do something about it. Get all of your tears out now. When the morning comes, everything will be different. It'll be like we're building the world again, and it'll be just for us. Sunshine..." He lifts Adrien's head out of his neck and kisses his forehead, "... Our love is God." Seeing Adrien smile- A genuine one instead of his model smile- made him feel joy he hasn't felt since... His mom and when he and Juleka still got along... He needed Adrien to keep smiling for him. "Come on. I'll buy a slushie to get your mind off of shit."

Adrien's smile grew wider as he kissed Luka's cheek, "I'd like that."

The two boys helped each other up and left the library. Watching them from the back was a tearful Nino. He had watched the entire scene unfold- Adrien crying, the fight... The kiss. It made him feel sick to his stomach. But, he wants Adrien to be happy. And if Luka makes him so much happier than when it was just the two of them against the world, then so be it. He could live with that even though something about Luka just rubs him the wrong way... He can't live with it.

Adrien savored the cold cherry drink as he listened to his father yelling to someone on the phone, probably the publisher for his magazine. He demanded an explanation for why Adrien was home so early, and he told him everything. Not the part about the murder, the part about Lila and Alya lying about him forcing himself on them at the cemetery. Adrien had never seen his father so furious. (Probably because that lie could ruin the brand) Now Lila's probably going to get fired, and every magazine with her face in it is to be burned or shredded. That doesn't really solve Adrien's problem. Lila will probably twist it around saying, _'Oh, I was going to tell M. Agreste, but Adrien got to him first!'_ Blah, blah, blah, cue bitch whining.

 **"So? Are you gonna do it?"** Marinette's ghost asked as she filed her nails while sitting on the armrest of the pristine white couch in Adrien's room, **"Pretty boy's waiting."**

Adrien looked to his right and saw Luka holding his telephone and a slip of paper with two numbers written down. The two shared a look before Adrien picked up the phone from the receiver and took the paper out of Luka's hands. "Take your pick," he said. Adrien dialed the first number and someone answered after three rings.

"What?" Lila answered.

"Fuck," Adrien said as he pulled the phone away from him, "I dialed Lila." Luka let out a laugh, only for it to be muffled by Adrien pushing his pillow into his face. He cleared his throat and spoke back into the phone, "Hey, Lila. It's Adrien..."

He could almost hear her smirking, "Oh, I didn't expect you to call."

Adrien gagged, "Yeah, I didn't expect to be calling either. But... My emotions just took over. Um, hey, I gotta know. How did you know it was always a fantasy of mine to have two girls at once?  
  
There was a pause on the other line before she answered, "Uh... lucky guess?"

Well, if you want all of those things to happen, then you and Alya should meet me in the woods behind the school. At dawn." He quickly hangs up, and the two burst out into laughter.

"You, my love are an amazing actor!" Luka chortled as he fell on his back while still laughing, "I love you."

"I love you too," Adrien said back. "So, what's the next step?" **  
**

Luka sits back up and reaches down for the white paper bag he had brought in earlier and sets it down on the bed. Adrien watched as Luka pulled out a gun. Adrien stares in a horrified fascination. "Whoa. Is uh... That real?"

"Yep," Luka quickly said as if nothing was wrong. Then he saw the fear in Adrien's eyes. "Don't worry, we're filling it with Ich Luge bullets."  
  
Adrien repeated the foreign-sounding word, "Ich Luge...? What?"  
  
Luka pulled something else out of the bag. It was a little vintage candy dish but instead of old candy, there were bullets inside. "My grandad scored a shitload back in World War II. They're like tranquilizers. He said the Nazis used them to fake their own suicides when the Russians invaded Berlin." Adrien nodded; he took it as a sign to continue, "They break the surface of the skin enough to cause a little bleeding but no serious damage."

Adrien furrowed his brow, "So, it looks like the person's been shot and killed, but really they're just unconscious and bleeding?"

Luka nodded and started switching out the blanks in the gun for the tranquilizer bullets, "We will use them to knock out Lila and Alya just long enough to make it look like a suicide pact- complete with a forged suicide note."

"Okay, but what's the note gonna be about?" Adrien asked, "Two best friends who just wanted to end it all?" He rolled his eyes.

Luka smirked as he pulled something else out of the bag, "Oh, they're gonna _way_ more than just friends." He sets down a Playboy magazine, a cheesy teddy bear with a little plush heart sewn to its paws, and a bouquet of violets, and two bottles of beer with Rosie the Riveter on the labels. "See? We shoot Alya and Lila, make it look like they shot each other as part of a lesbian suicide pact, and by the time they gain consciousness, they'll be humiliated when they think that everyone thinks they're lesbians." Adrien wasn't sure if he liked or hated this plan, but if it meant getting back at those two, he was in. "Now we just gotta write a note." He reaches into his pocket and pulls out an essay with a D- in the top right corner. "Behold, Lila's essay on the study of photosynthesis."

Adrien took the note and examined the writing. It looked like Lila was trying to be fancy with her penmanship but failed and now it just looks like sloppy cursive. "I think I can do this." He reached over to his nightstand and pulled a black notebook and pencil out of the drawer. He opened to a blank page and thought about what he would write, "Okay..."

_Dear all of my friends and family,_

_I couldn't bear to keep Alya's and my secret hidden from so many people any longer. We are gay. And we died only because we had to keep our gay forbidden love hidden from a horrible and non-understanding world. The joy we felt in each other's arms was better than anything, yet we were forced to live the lie of being two popular high school girls with boys lining up for them._

Luka read over it again, "Wordy and over-dramatic..."

"Perfect!" They said at the same time.

  
Adrien stands alone in the woods, waiting for Alya and Lila to show up. As he does, he fiddles around with the gun he’s tucked in his waistband of his pants, making sure he’s able to take it out quick and easy when the moment’s right.

”I see them,” Luka whispered from his hiding spot behind a tree.

Adrien hid the gun using his jacket. He looked around and saw the two girls approaching, wearing their usual “flirty outfits”. Only now, Alya’s skinny jeans were replaced by a denim skirt, no doubt picked out by Lila. Honestly, Adrien felt bad for her sometimes. Marinette told him about how Alya used to be kind of a geek, but she took pride in it. Now she’s all fake, shiny, cares about nothing but gossip and hot guys, and now everything about her just screams ‘Plastic surgery disaster at age forty who needs to find a husband that’ll take care of me after my lips explode.’

“Hey, Adrien,” Lila said sultrily as she pursed her lips to look sexy... It wasn’t working.

“Hey you two,” he said, trying so hard not to smirk, “Glad you could make it.”

There was silence between the two of them before Alya asked, “So, are you gonna whip that thing out, or what?”

Adrien rolled his eyes, “Well, actually... I was kinda hoping you two could give me a little show and strip for me.” To make it seem like he really wanted this, he bit his lip.

”... Okay,” Alya said and started taking off her jacket

“Alright.” Lila did the same.

Once their jackets, crop tops, skirts, and heels were off, they were just left in their bras and underwear. Adrien internally let out a breath of relief when he saw that they were wearing bras. He knows what they feel like, he doesn’t need to see them. 

Alya asked, “What about you?”

He smirked, “Well... I was hoping you two could rip my clothes off me.”

The two girls gave each other disbelieving looks. ‘Was this really happening?’ They thought to themselves.

Lila nodded, eager and a little stunned, “Yeah, we can do that.”

“On the count of three... One...” He reached behind his back and felt for the gun.

”... Two...”

”THREE!” Luka stepped out from behind his hiding spot with his gun and fired right at Lila’s chest. She fell and Alya screamed bloody murder. Adrien quickly pulled out his gun and tried to shoot at her, but he missed, and she ran deep into the woods.

”Damn, you missed her completely!”

Adrien laughed, “Yeah, but it was worth it to see the look on her face-“

”Stay here, I’ll get her!” And Luka ran after her, leaving Adrien wondering why. It was just a prank so why is he... Horror began to dawn on him. He kneeled beside Lila’s body and gave her a little nudge, “Lila? You're just unconscious, right, Lila?...” When she doesn’t respond, he grabs her by the shoulders and starts shaking her, “Lila!”

Luka continued the chase until he ends up at a fence, which Alya is trying to climb over and escape

“Get off the fence!” He yelled and aimed his gun at her. “Get off the damn fence!”  
  
She freezes, too paralyzed to move, “Why are you doing this?!”

Luka slowly lowered his gun, allowing Alya to relax a little bit, but her fear returned when Luka started laughing like a mad-man. “You know how the dinosaurs were killed by as asteroid? Well, you and the rest of those assholes are the dinosaurs, this gun is the asteroid, and the love between me and my Sunshine? Our love is God. The one who sent the asteroid to wipe everything out! This is long overdue!” He started raising his gun again.  
 _  
_ _“_ Stop being a dick!” She yelled back.  
 _  
_“The rest will all be dust-“

“What does that mean?!”  
  
“They'll die because we say so.” _  
_  
Luka fires his gun and Alya collapses onto the ground. He gives her arm a kick. When she doesn’t move, he drags her body back to where he shot Lila. Adrien, finally snapping out of his shock, gets up and walks toward Luka.

Enraged, he yelled, ”WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU DONE?!”

Luka doesn’t respond. Instead, he goes behind the tree where he was hiding and pulls out the paper bag. He pulls out the bouquet of violets, places them in Lila’s left hand and the gun in her right. He pries Adrien’s gun out of his shaky hand and places it in Alya’s left hand. He pulls out the note and sets it on the ground, opens the Playboy magazine to a page, then sets it flat on the ground, opens the two beer bottles and sets them down not to far from them, then tosses the teddy bear onto the ground.

He looks back to Adrien, whose skin has gone pale. He approached him, held his hands and whispered, “I worship you.” He kissed his forehead and allowed the blonde to collapse into his arms.

_”I heard a gunshot! This way!”_

Adrien recognized that voice. It was Officer Raincomprix. “Let’s go.” Luka grabbed his hand and pulled him away from the crime scene.

Minutes later, Roger and another arrived and took in the scene before them.

”Shit,” the other cop cursed.

Roger kneeled down and examined the bullet hole in Alya’s chest. There was another one in Lila. Then he noticed the guns. “Suicide,” he whispered.

”Huh?”

”Double-suicide,” he repeated grimly.

The officer let out a sigh, “Damn. First Dupain-Cheng now these two.”

Roger got a closer look at the girls and recognized them, “They go to DuPont. Lila Rossi and Alya Césaire. They’re friends with Sabrina.” He ran his fingers through his hair and let out a sigh, “How am I gonna break this to her?”

”Gay.”

Roger arched an eyebrow, “Huh?”

”It was a gay suicide-pact, look.” He picks up the magazine and shows the cover to Roger, “Playboy. Then you’ve got your brewskis, cheesy romantic stuff bear... The violets.” He picks up the fake suicide note and reads it to himself. “Yep. They were lesbians who couldn’t live in this world anymore.”

Roger took the note out of his hands and read it for himself, “... Why would they think this?” He ask himself sadly, “Paris, it’s... There’s no shame here.”

”Roger,” he gives his partner a pat on the back, “these kids, they... They can get access to news channels, see how things are in different countries...”  
  


“Ich Luge, I am such an idiot!” Adrien yelled to himself and slammed his head agasint the dashboard of Luka’s car parked out in the driveway of the school. After that fiasco, they spent the night there, hiding from the cops. Adrien now reeked of sweat, cigarette smoke, and guilt.

”Look, you believed it because you wanted to believe it,” Luka calmly said as he took a puff of his cigarette, “Your true feelings were too gross for you to face.

Adrien gaped at that, horrified. “I... Did not. Want. Them. Dead!”

”You did too!” Luka shot back

”I did not!”

”Did too!”

”Did not!”

”Did too!”

”Did not!”

”Did too!”

”Did not!”

“You just-“

”I’m not listening!” Adrien covers his hears, “Lalalalalalala!”

Outside, Chloé, Nathaniel, and Marc watch with amused grins.

”Young love,” Chloé sighed.

Aurore approached them, “Guys, did you hear? School is canceled today because Alya and Lila killed themselves in a repressed lesbian suicide pact.”

This had the three of them look at the blonde in disbelief.

Chloé spoke, ”No. Fucking. Way.”

Aurore nodded, “It’s true. Heard from Sabrina who heard from her dad.”

”Sunshine,” Luka took his hand, “those two had nothing to offer this school but hitting on guys in committed relationships...”

Adrien nodded to himself, believing Luka might be right about this. “Yeah... Can we make an ice run before the funeral?”


	8. I Love My Dead Gay Sister/Seventeen

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "How do you think he'd react to a son that had a limp wrist with a pulse?"  
> -J.D.

_Dear Diary,_

_I'm going steady.  
Mostly he's awesome,  
If a bit too rock and roll.  
Lately, he's bumped off,   
Three DuPont students.  
God have mercy on my soul.  
They were just seventeen.  
They still had room to grow.  
They could've turned out good.  
But now we'll never know._

Another funeral took place at the same Church Marinette’s funeral was held. There’s not a crowd of people outside or no news crew like last time. Sitting in the pews were their families- Lila’s mom, Isabella, her father Tony, and her sister Roberta. Sitting with them were the Césaires, Marlene, Otis, Nora, and the twins Ella and Etta. The Rossi Class and even some of the other students sat in the pews to show their respect. Even though they didn’t get along, they wouldn’t wish death upon the two girls.

Adrien and Luka sat next to Chloé, Nathaniel, and Marc in the second pew just behind the grieving families. Adrien had a clear view of the two girls in their coffins. Both wore white dresses with black bow ties and Doc Martens shoes, and in their hands were bouquets of violets. It looked like they were about to get married.

After the pastor finished his speech, he beckoned for Roberta to come up and say a few words about her sister and Alya. Once she was at the podium, the words she spoke made quite a few people want to punch her. Even her own parents looked ashamed, “I don't really know what I'm supposed to say up here. I'm embarrassed, certainly!"

All around, the students were glaring at the girl, and some were even crying much harder than earlier. Adrien saw Juleka pulling Rose close to her and kissing her forehead, Max and Kim were holding hands. Next to him, Marc was resting his head on Nathaniel's shoulder and silently crying as the eldest Rossi sister continued her rant. Luka's hand started twitching like he wanted to reach for the gun hidden in his trench coat. Adrien quickly held his hand and shook his head. "No," he whispered.

"My family has turned our town into a laughing stock. My sister isn't who I thought she was, and when I think of the sick, disgusting things she and Alya were doing-“

Before she could get another word out, Nora stood and yelled, “You wait just a minute, Roberta!” She stormed over to the podium, pushed her out of the way, and spoke to the crowd, “It is ignorant, hateful talk like her’s that makes this world a place our sisters could not live in! They were not sinful or dirty!” She took a few breaths to calm herself down, “They... It’s like God wrote a song, and were just two lonely verses-“

Roberta cut her off, “Our sister were dykes, Nora!”  
  
”Yes!” She made her way to Alya’s coffin and looked down at her little sister with tears in her eyes, “My sister is a lesbian and I don’t care! So, I’ll say it for everyone in Paris to hear! I love my dead lesbian sister! It’s time to open our eyes people!” She walked down the aisles, spreading her message to everyone, “God has a plan and a reason for everything! Alya and Lila exchanging secret kisses was part of that plan!”

A few people nodded and one man even yelled, “Amen!”

”I have no doubt that they’re in Heaven! Jesus is saying, ‘Hey, you’re cool’, and they’re in a place where there’s no bigotry!” She glared at Roberta, “No crime, hatred, or any of that!”

”Tell it, girl!”

“I’ll say it again! They were not sinful or dirty! They were just different is all! And lemme tell you something,” she walks back over to the coffins, “these girls were brave as hell! They were just desperate to be free! They stripped down into nothing but their bras and underwear! It was powerful!”

The crowd cheers. Nora looks around and sees Roberta scowling before walking to the doors.

With a frown, she yelled, ”Alright, enough!” And everyone quieted down. Her look turns solemn, “Roberta... Look at me... Look me in the eye and tell me you don’t remember everything we’ve been through.”

There were some scattered, ‘Huh?’ ‘What?’ ‘What does she mean?’

Roberta’s hand was just an inch away from the door handle. Slowly, she turned around to look at Nora.

”Remember?” Nora approached her with a sad smile, “We were sixteen, it was 1985. One hot summer, we decided to take a dip in the lake. You looked so beautiful diving in...”

There is a moment of silence between the two. Everyone watches with anticipation, wondering what Roberta will say. Finally, she speaks, “That was one hell of a summer.”

Nora almost doesn’t have time to react when Roberta runs and jumps into her muscular arms. The two share a passionate kiss that has the Church cheering. Adrien and Luka stare wide-eyed and with their mouths gaped. They were not expecting any of this at all

”YEAH!” Nathaniel cheered before wrapping his arms around Marc, bringing him down for a dip, and then kissing him. Nora sets Roberta back down and the two walk hand-in-hand back to the podium. Nora continued her message, "That's right, we're gay, people! And so are our sisters! They're probably up in Heaven doing pottery, taking their SUV's to the woods to go camping, wearing flannel, all of that!"

Roberta gave Nora a kiss on the cheek and said, "So people, go forth and love each other now," She looks over at Lila's coffin and smiles, "like our sisters would have done. Nora and I won't rest until we teach people to love others for who they are! That is a promise, people!" Everyone in the pews cheered and clapped as the two shared one last kiss. Adrien was the only one not cheering. He just clapped to not appear suspicious.

_Dear Diary,_

_My teen angst bullshit has a body count. Three people at my school are dead. One very popular around the world, the other two only popular in their own classroom. A lot of people are sad, but it’s a weird kind of sad. Suicide gave Marinette depth, Lila a soul, and Alya a brain. I don’t know what’s it given me, but I’ve got no control over myself when I’m with Luka. Are we going to prom or to hell?_

Luka took a deep inhale as he and Adrien boarded the Couffaine houseboat, "What is that? That smell in the air- is that tolerance? Inclusion, love. Sunshine, how often can you say it's a good day to live in Paris, France?" He leaned over the railing and shouted, "You're welcome, city!"

Adrien rolled his eyes, "Hey... you don't have to be so smug about it."  
  
"Your love keeps me humble," Luka said with a smirk then went in for a kiss, only for Adrien to pull away. So, who's next?" Adrien glares at him in disgust, but he doesn't seem to notice or care, "Alix Kudbel? I wanna get back at her for bashing me against the bookshelf. Plus, she enjoys emotionally tormenting Nathaniel every chance she gets. I heard she left fat-shaming notes in his locker for about a month-"

Adrien shook his head. He was done. Yes, Alix hurt Nathaniel many times ever since Lila got into her head, but he draws the line at killing three people. He should've drawn the line at one, but he thought those bullets were harmless. "No! No, I do not accept this! We've already killed three people! This ends right here, right now!" He turns to walk away, but Luka grabs his hand, making Adrien turn to face him.  
  
"Or what?..."  
  
"... I'll break up with you."  
  
"Every war has casualties," Luka argued. "That doesn't mean that it's not worth fighting!"

Adrien pulls his hand away and continues walking.

"What, what, you'd rather go to jail, huh?! And then give a free pass to the thugs who hurt people?" Adrien stops on the gangplank and listens to what Luka has to say, "Evil **fucks** that make life so unbearable that you can't stand to live in the world anymore!..." In a huff, he storms over to the railing and just looks down at his reflection in the water. A moment later, Adrien's reflection appears by his, resting a hand on his shoulder.

"Luka?... Did your mother really sail away?"

"... You really wanna know?" Adrien nodded. "... My dad said it was an accident. But she knew what she was doing. She walked into that building two minutes before dad blew it up. She waved at me and Jules out the window and then... Ka-boom. She left."

With a sad sigh, Adrien spoke, "My mom disappeared when I was about thirteen. No one knows what happened. One minute she's there, then the next, she's gone. My father hasn't been the same and became closed-in on himself. Nathalie and Gorilla have been the ones taking care of me ever since... I'm so sorry, Luka.  
  
"It's okay." He kisses Adrien's forehead, "I'm sorry, too. But, the pain gives me clarity. You and I are special, we have a lot of work to do."  
  
"What work?" Adrien asked confused.  
  
"Making the world a decent place for people who are decent!" Luka exclaimed as he pulled Adrien in for a hug, "Sunshine, we aren't stopping until every asshole is dead!"  
  
Adrien pushes Luka away from him, "Luka, I get that we're like... Messed up. We're damaged, but it's... It's not like that puts us above others!" Adrien finally realized it. Luka had a God Complex. He thinks he knows better and he gets to choose who lives or dies. He thinks people like The Primaires and the Rossi Class are beneath him and they need to be wiped out so he can make the perfect world. "We aren't the wise and all-knowing ones who get to pick life and death for people. Luka... Please, let's just be normal kids." Luka looks away, and Adrien smiles when he sees the look of shame on his face. "I know it's a little late, but..." He holds Luka's hands, prompting him to look at the blonde, "Please. I know people are out to hurt us-"

"Or just vanish."

"And yeah, it sucks... But can't we just the good things in life?" He wraps his arms around Luka's neck and nuzzles up against his chest. He smiles when he feels Luka wrapping his arms around his waist and resting his chin in his head. "I know there's a part of you that wants it, too."  
  
"... Yeah. I'd like that."

Adrien looked up at him, "So? What's it gonna be?"

With a smile, Luka kissed his forehead, "I wanna be with you, Sunshine... Wanna go get some chili fries?"

They kiss again and Marinette's ghost appears, only audible and visible to Adrien

 **" And** **they lived happily ever after!”** She sneers at Adrien, **“** **You really believe that? Do you think it all goes back to normal? You know exactly what he is and you love it, Agreste!"**  
  
He rolls his eyes at the ghost/figment of his imagination.  
  
She shrugs, **“Only a true dead best friend would give it to you straight.”**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that in the musical, Kurt and Ram's dad are the ones who were gay, but Marlena and Otis are married (I don't know about Paul and Bill; they might be divorced) So, I gave Lila a sister and made her and Nora lesbians
> 
> And yes, JD does have a God complex. Look at the symptoms, watch the movie, and you'll see.


	9. Shine a Light/Lifeboat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Warning: References to depression and actual suicidal thoughts. Read at your own risk

"Now..." M. Haberkorn took a short pause to take in the ashamed looks on Damocles and Bustier's faces. He tried very hard not to smirk. "It seems we were in a similar position on Monday when Demeter and I thoughtfully suggested we get the students together for an unadulterated emotional outpouring, but no."

Mendelieve nodded, "But no. _Some people_ ," Caline looked down in shame, "suggested we just let the students keep their emotions bottled up and look what happened. Alya Cesaire and Lila Rossi committed lesbian suicide. Oh, if only we had done something."

M. Damocles sighed, "I've seen all sorts of things in my day... Angel dust, switchblades, emotional terrorism... But this suicide thing... I uh... I suppose it's more up Haberkorn and Mendelieve's alley... On Friday, you two should gather everyone in the courtyard, hold a rally, let the students shout and scream all they want." M. Haberkorn and the usually stoic teacher couldn't help but grin. Finally, they were going to fix this school.

Mme. Bustier stood, "M. Damocles, are you sure? The students may say something they'll regret and-"

D’Argencourt sneered, "Shut. Up. Caline."

"Adrien?" The blonde looked away from his locker and saw Nino entering the locker room with a worried look. "We need to talk, I... I think Alya and Lila were murdered."

Adrien felt his heart stop. He couldn't let Nino find out what actually happened. He knows Luka promised, but... Some people go back on their word.

 **"Well, fuck me gently with a chainsaw! Nancy Drew is onto you, Adrien."**  
  
Adrien calmed himself down and asked, "Why would you say that? They found the suicide note."  
  
"It could have been faked," he pointed out, "You forge them all the time, right?"  
  
"... Right..."  
  
**"I am in love with this boy! I wish I had gotten him out of that cult when I had the chance."**  
  
Adrien ignored Marinette in favor of covering his tracks, "That's ridiculous! Who'd wanna kill Lila and Alya?"

Nino took off his cap and slid his fingers through his hair with a sigh, "I... I don't know man, but Lila and Alya were not gay. Alya and I used to date, and not once did she look disgusted when we kissed. And Lila's one of the straightest girls I know."  
  
Alya and Lila's ghosts appear. Both are still in the bras and underwear, and they still have their bullet wounds  
**  
****"Fact!"** They yelled together.

"A-and, dude. Not to offend you or anything, but..." He takes a short pause before saying, "There's something off about Luka." ****

Lila smirked, **"Damn. Lame-ass isn't as dumb as I thought."**

Marinette pulls on her hair, **"Quiet, you!"**

Adrien needed to cover for Luka, and he needed to keep Nino safe. Why does he think Luka is going to kill Nino? He promised he'd stop! "Nino, you don't really think Luka killed them, do you?"

"I didn't say that," he muttered. "There's just something about him that rubs me the wrong way... I saw that fight in the library."

Alya pointed to Nino, **"He rubbed me the wrong way, too- Ow!"** Marinette pulls on her hair.

"... Oh."

"What he said after, it uh... It sounded..." He tries to come up with a word, "I-I don't know, kind of cult-ish. What did he mean by, 'Our Love is God'? Is that some sort of Couffaine family motto or something?" When Adrien didn't answer, he took his hand, "He's not hurting you, is he?"

Shocked that his friend would even ask that, Adrien pulled his hand away and shook his head, "What? No! Nino why would you-"

"I'm just worried!" He said in defense. "I... L-let's just get back to Alya and Lila. They are not gay, you know that."

Lila palms Adrien's crotch, **"Obviously."** Adrien covers that area with his notebook. **"I'm a ghost, you know."** She sticks her head through the notebook and continues her obscene activity.

Adrien tries to ignore her, "Nino... Maybe they were repressed and... Everything was just a cover-up?" He interrupts Nino before he could say anything else to support his claim, "Nino, just let it go. Alya and Lila were gay. They're dead. End of story." He slams his locker shut, "And Luka and I are doing well; thanks for asking." 

He leaves, and Nino is left alone in the locker room. He leans up against a locker and slides down onto the floor where he hides buries his face into his knees and cries.

'He was too hot on my trail,' Adrien thought to himself as he stood outside the locker room, 'If he figured out what really happened, he could go through Luka's locker, he'll find him, and then-'

 **"Kill him?"** The three ghosts said.

Marinette hummed in thought and tapped her chin, **"How odd. I thought the desperado hung up his six guns! Don't you trust him?"**

'Of course, I do."

 **"Then tell Lame-ass everything if you're so sure Clyde won't kill him!"** Alya exclaimed, **"You owe us, Agreste!"**

Lila adds, **"Yes, looking in the guy's bathroom without being seen is _amazing_ , but come on! Who's next on that guy's hit-list?"**

'ENOUGH!' They disappear just as Mme. Mendelieve approaches Adrien, "Adrien, there you are. We need everyone in the cafeteria for the assembly." She ushers him and a few other students up the stairs and into the cafeteria where a large crowd of students has formed. Nadja Chamack and her news crew are there, interviewing a few students.

Nathaniel smiled as he, Chloé, and Marc entered, "I'm kind of looking forward to this."  
  
Alix shoves Nathaniel out of the way and storms past him, "Did you have a brain tumor for breakfast?"

M. Haberkorn stands behind a podium set at the back entrance of the cafeteria. Nadja has her crew point their cameras and microphones at him. He greets his audience, "Hello, Dupont! This school has been torn apart by tragedy, but we are going to mend it! Now, the cameras and the news crews? They're here to document this significant moment and maybe help other schools in the future. Whether to kill yourself or not is one of the most important decisions a teenager can make. So, you know what I'm going to do right now?"  
  
"Kill yourself on stage?" One student inappropriately joked.

"No..." He responded drawly, "That's not productive. Now, my senior thesis at Aix-Marseille was on the subject of pediatric music and art psychology. It was terrifically well regarded, so I speak with some authority when I tell you that the way to eliminate suicide is by first eliminating fear. Now, you see," he steps away for the podium and approaches the crowd, "Everyone has these ugly parts to them. Guilt, shame, regret, and anxiety. If we show these parts of ourselves, we can learn how to help each other!" A few students muttered in agreement.

"We need to shine a light on our fears, that way the pain will vanish!" A few students applauded, "Yes! Every emotional scar will become this... This badge of strength and character that shows you have overcome the odds!"

The room erupts into cheers and applauds. M. Haberkorn gestures for some of the cameramen to turn to the audience.  
  
Aurore speaks into Nadja's mic, "I'll admit, when your pride's on the line it's like every day is a battlefield.   
  
"I enjoy attacking people's weaknesses," a blonde boy wearing a purple shirt admitted, "It's because I'm afraid people will see mine if I don't attack first."

Mireille spoke timidly, "But if maybe if we share our ugly parts, it can open so many new opportunities. M. Haberkorn is right, we need to shine a light on ourselves!"

Adrien looks around at the crowd of smiling faces. Even the Rossi Class looks happy. He thought this was going to be a disaster, but it's turned out to be great. No one's fighting or spewing insults at each other, it's just one big room of positivity... So why doesn't he feel like everyone else? At least he's not alone. Nathaniel is sadly fiddling with the hem of his jacket but occasionally smiling whenever Chloé or Marc look at him before frowning when they look away. Whenever a cameraman, mic operator, or Nadja is close, he looks as if he wants to say something, but immediately shuts his mouth.  
  
M. Haberkorn grabs their attention, "Would anyone else like to share what's in their heart?..." He looks around the room of students and a few teachers raising their hands until he settles on Mme. Mendelieve, "Demeter! I don't believe we've heard from you! Come on."

She blushes at the thought of being on television and tries to decline, but everyone's cheering for her to go and saw what she has to say.

"Oh, alright." Nadja hands her the microphone, "My name's Demeter, I live by myself. My husband left and my kids have started families of their own. In the 60s I was what you might call a 'flower child' and love was everywhere you looked, and I just kept looking. Revolutions were starting, and I tried to help change the world, but I barely made a dent in the causes I supported. I've also struggled with despair which made me vulnerable to a cult that I managed to escape from. Good thing, too. I turned to different religions, I've chanted, I've prayed, but not gods or goddesses are there, and I have been seeing the father of one of the students, I will not say who."

There is a very long moment of silence that has Mendelieve worried, thinking she over-shared, but that worry leaves when the room burst into applause for the science and math teacher.

She beamed, "Oh my God! That felt fantastic!"

The cameras point to Nadja with an ecstatic look on her face, "I have never seen such positivity in one room! Dupont is truly a place where students, even teachers, are free to express themselves without judgment. We'll be back tomorrow to other students, but before we sign off, I'd like to remind our young viewers at home that they are free to call the studio's radio show, 'Teen Topics,' and voice their feelings. Remember, you are free to call anonymously." Adrien notices Nathaniel looking hopeful at those words. 'Was he going to call in the station?' he wondered to himself. "This is Nadja Chamack, signing off."

Alix sits in her room, throwing a tennis ball against her wall and then catching it. She's done her homework, performed all of the skating tricks she could think of in the Louvre museum and read all of her skater zines. With a sigh of boredom, she reaches over for the radio sitting on her nightstand and turns it to a random station.

"Welcome back to Teen Topics!" The DJ shouted followed by a school bell sound effect. Not seeing any other option, Alix listened to the many people calling in. Some she recognized as students from school. Some were voicing how they felt about the suicides, making her zone out. She just wanted to forget everything that happened and let things go back to normal.

"My name's... Illustrator."

Alix listened with attentiveness when she heard that fake name. That was the name of one of Nathaniel's characters. What the hell is he doing?  
  
"Well, Illustrator, tell us what ails you."

Nathaniel sighed, "I, uh... I've actually thought about suicide. The first girl I ever had a crush on, she liked someone else. I'm bad at science. I’m bipolar. My best friend left me for a li- Someone who hated me. I tried to get my friend back but the person who hated me already got into her head and a few others. Except for two. One of them was the girl I had a crush on. We became friends, supported each other, and a lot of people liked us. Once, my ex-friend and the person who hated me pointed out something I wasn't proud of and I tried to fix that using so many methods that hurt me physically. It was starting to get better. I got a boyfriend, left the toxic environment I was in and everything was great... But then the girl I had a crush on... Left. She was the one who kept my tormentors in line. The person who hated me also left, but nothing’s gotten better.”

Alix couldn't believe what she was hearing. Nathaniel sounded so vulnerable and upset... And pathetic! She picks up her phone and dials a number. Yeah, she knows suicide is a delicate situation right now, but he deserves what’s coming to him! After he called Lila a fat pig, she and the others decided to put him in front of a mirror.

”Yello?” Kim answered after a few rings.

”Tell me you listened to Teen Topics!” She quickly shushed him before he could say anything, “Wait, wait!”

“It’s like... I’m in this tiny fucking lifeboat and it’s my only safe space. And if a wave hits, I’ll be tossed over the side then left to drown.” He chokes back a sob. “So yeah. I’m pretty messed up.”

Kim laughed over the phone, “Okay, drama queen.”

Alix and the others are going to crucify that boy tomorrow.


	10. Shine a Light Reprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "If you were happy every single day of your life, then you wouldn't be a human, you'd be a game show host."  
> -Veronica Sawyer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Attempted overdose

_Dear Diary,_

_I've cut off Lila's head, and Alix's head has sprouted back in its place like some mythological thing my eighth great crush would have known about. I've seen Luka's way, I've seen M. Haberkorn and Mme. Mendelieve's way and nothing has changed. I guess that's the way things are. And Jesus, what about Luka? I can't get him out of my head... Now back to more pressing matters. I need to find Nathaniel!_

Nathaniel walked into school early the next day wearing a red leather jacket with a black hood attached. Right now, he just felt like hiding his face from everyone. He stayed up all night crying for two hours straight as those horrible words from years ago played over and over in his head. Alix used to have his back. What happened? She helped him through his problems before he became a Primary and had Marinette and Chloé to help him and then later Marc.

He hated to admit it, but sometimes he missed her. Her jokes, the light teasing, how she’d skate around him whenever he was sketching.

When he walked into the locker room, he saw that there was a crowd of students right in front of his locker. With a groan of exhaustion, he asked them to move. Then with some hesitation and pitiful looks he didn’t understand why they were shooting him, they moved.

He just missed to old days when Alix wasn’t a- TOTAL ASSHOLE!

Defacing his locker was white spray paint that spelled out ‘LARDASS’ ‘KILL YOURSELF’ 

Nathaniel was spiraling. They heard his call to the station, everyone probably did... No. He wouldn't let them get to him. None of them are worth his time. Ignoring the cruel words on his locker and the concerned looks on the other students' faces, he opened his locker, only for an avalanche of notes to pile on the floor at his feet. He picked up a handful and read them.

'Are you saying DuPont is not a nice place?'

'You don't deserve to wear our colors.'

'Why don't you hop in your little lifeboat and catch a gnarly wave over to Vadim?'

'Die Alone.'

He needed to get out of here, now!

Jean calmly approached him, “Nathaniel?” He didn't hear his name. All he heard was the relentless laughter of the Rossi Class. They were pointing at him, laughing. He couldn't take it anymore. They knew everything and are going to use it against him until they graduate... Or until...

”Get out,” he murmured.

”But-“

He screamed, ”GET OUT!” Quickly, everyone rushed out of the locker room.

Once alone, Nathaniel rummaged all through his locker until he found what he was looking for. His mood stabilizers. There were only six but that had to be enough for an overdose, he hoped. He was about to open them and end it all until he heard the cruel laughter of the Rossi Class in his head. Believing it to be actually them and not wanting to give them all the satisfaction of seeing him close to tears, Nathaniel darted for the boy’s bathroom.

Marc and Chloé ran all around the school, desperately searching for Nathaniel. Last night, the two were doing each other’s nails at Mayor Bourgeois’ hotel and decided to turn on the radio to Teen Topics. They were so glad they did because what they heard shook them to their cores. They knew Nathaniel was troubled and they always did everything they could to help him.

When Alix and Lila bullied him into bulimia, Chloé ripped those girls a new one, Marinette made sure he ate and would accompany him to the bathroom to make sure he didn’t try to throw up his food or take any diet pills. He managed to slip by when Marinette was out sick and Chloé was visiting her mother, leaving him at the hands of his classmates. Fortunately, he wasn’t alone in the bathroom and one of the doors was loose. Marc saw Nathaniel trying to force himself to throw up was able to talk him out of it. After that, they became friends and soon more.

If they heard him on the radio, then so did the Rossi Class. They'd destroy him the moment they saw him in his time of weakness and won't back down.

"God, where is he?!" Marc wondered aloud as he and Chloé ran out of the library, "What if they found him first?!”

”Marc,” Chloé grabs his shoulders and has him look at her, “We’ll find him. Okay?” When he doesn’t say anything she repeats, “Okay?” He nods, “Maybe he’s in the art class. Let’s go!” They ran to the classroom and unknowingly passed by Adrien who was also searching for Nathaniel.

He asked every student he came across, but all he got were shrugs. He needed to find Nathaniel before the Rossi Class did. He eventually went to look in the locker room.

”Nathaniel?” He called out. When no one answered he yelled, “Nathaniel!” As Adrien looked around, he noticed that Nathaniel’s locker was open and there was a mound of notes on the floor. He kneeled and picked up a few. Reading them made him hate the cult more than he did now.

’You gonna whine all night?’

’I got some sedatives for you! Use em!’

“... Those dicks!” He exclaimed angrily. Nathaniel must’ve seen these. So that means-

“STUPID CHILD-PROOF CAPS!”

Nathaniel was struggling to open the pill bottle. He hit it against the counter, the wall, the mirror which caused it to shatter, anything to get the stupid bottle open. He was starting to hear their voices again, only making him try harder to open the pill bottle.

_'Aw, look! Nathan's gonna whine!'_

_'Are you gonna kill yourself yet?'_

_'Here, have a sedative.'_

He fell to the floor as they started closing in on him. The door disappeared, and there was no way for him to escape. He tucked his face into his knees and covered his ears, anything to stop the voices  
  
 _'You’re pathetic!'_  
  
 _'You’re gonna die alone!'_

Finally, Nathaniel got the pill bottle open. He chugs the contents with some struggle. It was like someone was trying to pull the bottle away from him, but why would these assholes try and get him to stop what they were encouraging him to do? He managed to get only four pills in his mouth and went to pick up the remaining two, only for something to physically restrain him from doing so. The Rossi Class' cruel voices began to get quieter and were replaced by a more frantic voice.

"Nathaniel!"

"Cough 'em up!"

They began to dissipate and their places were the teary-eyed face of Adrien, trying to get him to cough up the pills. With a look of regret, Adrien knew what he had to do.

"Nath, I'm sorry," he apologized before sticking his finger in Nathaniel's mouth, triggering his gag reflex. He rushed him over to a bathroom stall and put him over the toilet, allowing Nathaniel to throw up the pills into the bowl. Nathaniel shoved him away and sat on the floor, sobbing into his knees. "Suicide is a private thing."

"Nath, you're throwing your life away to be a statistic in France Today!" Adrien yelled, "That is about the least private thing I can think of!"  
  
"..." No response.

"Nath..." Adrien sat down across from him and rested a hand on his knee, "What they did was beyond the shittiest thing ever. But you can't let them get to you like that. If everyone jumped off a bridge, would you?  
  
Slowly, Nathaniel looked up and nods, ashamed. "Probably."

Adrien sighed, "Hey, you're only human. If you were happy every single day of your life, then you wouldn't be a human, you'd be a game show host." Nathaniel let out a chuckle, making Adrien smile. "... Marc's looking for you. Maybe you two can knock off early, buy some comics, or something nerdy like that?"

Nathaniel gave the blonde's leg a light punch, "We're geeks. There's a difference."

Adrien rolled his eyes as he got up, "Sure there is." He offers his hand to Nathaniel and he hesitantly took it, allowing Adrien to help him up. Adrien walked to the door but didn't hear Nathaniel's footsteps behind him. He whirled around and let out a horrified gasp when he saw Nathaniel standing in front of the shattered mirror and holding a large shard of glass. He held it close to his face.

"NATHANIEL, NO!"

But instead of using the glass to slice his skin, Nathaniel used it to cut off the bangs covering his left eye and allowed the strands to fall into the sink. He turned to Adrien and smiled, "Before everything turned to shit, Alix said she liked my bangs..." He tossed the shard to the floor "Let's go." He walked out of the bathroom with Adrien giving him a proud look.

Adrien watched from afar with a smile as Marc and Nathaniel embraced and Chloé cupped his face in her hands and cried tears of joy knowing that one of her best friends was okay (And to get a better look at his other eye). After this touching moment, Marc and Nathaniel walked hand-in-hand out of the school and Chloé made her way to class.

"You gonna kill Kudbel now?" Adrien tensed when he heard that voice, and he now just realized that he was on the Couffaine houseboat with Luka. He didn't know why he was so scared; Luka promised he wouldn't kill anyone anymore. Said boy wrapped his arm around Adrien and kissed his cheek, "Come o-o-on. The bitch made Kurtzberg want to kill himself. One less cult member, the better-"

Adrien cut him off, "No! We are done with that!"  
  
 ** _"_** So we just let them run around ruining the same old lives for the same old people because all that it does-"  
  
"No, listen, you promised me, listen, you promised-"

"I know, but listen to me-"  
  
"Listen to me, listen to me. Just, don't talk over me, okay? You promised me."  
  
"... I promised."  
  
"Thank you," Adrien smiled, and then leaned in to kiss Luka. They were so enamored with each other that they didn't hear Tamika walk in until he said, "Gee pop, ever heard of knocking? I was playing grab-ass with my boyfriend."

Reluctantly and with a roll of his eyes, Luka pulled away from Adrien and partook in the reverse roleplay that always left Adrien feeling awkward, "Well you know the rules, young man. When company's over the bedroom door stays open."  
  
Tamika let out a joyless laugh before making his way over to the tv and putting a tape in the VCR. "So the judge, God bless him, told those idiot groupies to slap shit and die. You should've seen the fireworks, I got it all right here on video." He grabbed the remote off of the coffee table and pressed play, showing a hotel on the screen, for a few seconds before it crumbled to the ground. Tamika actually laughed at the destruction. "I packed the upper floors with thermals, set off the whole thing with a Norwegian in the boiler room. Ka-boom!" Then he left the room. Once he did, Luka reached into his pocket and pulled out, much to Adrien's horror, his gun and fired a shot at the ceiling.  
  
Tamika yelled from the other room, "Goddamnit! No firearms in the house!"  
  
Adrien got over his shock and angrily asked, "Why are you carrying a gun?!"  
  
"It pissed off my dad," Luka shrugged, "it was funny."  
  
"No," Adrien furiously shook his head, "it's not funny! None of this is funny! You're carrying a loaded weapon!" He gets up from the couch and stares down at Luka with a betrayed look, "You promised me!"  
  
Luka shot up from the couch. "It's a dangerous world," he said in defense.

  
"Yeah, because of you! You know what?" He starts walking toward the door with Luka following. "Don't call me. Don't talk to me-"  
  
"Sunshine-" He reached for his hand, only for Adrien to pull it away and glare at him.

"No, you don't understand the difference between right and wrong, we're over!"  
  
Luka tried again, but got the same result, "Come on, come back!"  
  
Adrien grabs onto the doorknob and turns to face Luka once last time, "No, we're over!"  
  
"I love you!"  
  
Adrien lets out a gasp and froze on the spot with a look of fear and hurt on his face. Luka wonders why until he looks down and sees that he's pointing the gun at him. He aims it down away from Adrien and holds out his other hand for him to take, but with a solemn shake of his head, Adrien looked away from Luka and opened the door, "... Goodbye, Luka." And he left.


	11. Maternelle Boyfriend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Angsty Nino chapter, I'm not sorry. We all get a little backstory.

The student council taped posters all over the school to announce the big pep rally coming up in a week. The marching band went through the halls singing the school fight song, and everyone wore clothes with the school colors, red and black.

Alix walked into the locker room and was greeted by the sight of Aurore and Marc, the student body President and treasurer hanging up poster.

”I still think we should have...” Aurore trails off when she sees the pinkette. The two exchange glares, but theirs do not compare to Marc’s. That demon almost caused his boyfriend to commit suicide. He wanted to say so many things to this girl, words to make even the toughest person cry. But instead he just said,

”Kudbel.”

”... Anciel.”

Aurore tugged on Marc’s hoodie and led him out of the locker room, not even sparing a glance at Alix. Before they were gone, she muttered, “Have fun eating his ass out.” Once she heard the door slam shut, Alix went to her locker and transferred some books into her backpack.

" _I now know thee, thou clear spirit,_ " Alix looks away from her locker and sees Luka walking into the locker room.  
  


"... That's from Moby Dick," she remarked.

Luka reaches into his backpack, "I appreciate a well-read woman." He pulls out a brown envelope, which Alix looks at with confusion then asks, "What's in the envelope?"  
  
With a smirk, he opens the envelope and pulls out dozens of photos that make Alix go pale. They're all photos of her and Nathaniel when they were kids- Building a pillow fort, playing video games, coloring, sleeping together.  
  
"Oh, shit!" Alix cursed once she snapped out of her shock. She tried to grab the pictures out of Luka's hands, but, using her height against her, he holds them above her head. "Give me those!"  
  
"Yeah, call it a..." Luka smirked as he looked through the photos, while also keeping them away from Alix, "Tangible reminder that at one point- you and Nathaniel Kurtzberg were best friends! Oh, just think of how hilarious it'll be when everyone sees a photo of Nathaniel's main tormentor building a pillow fort with him."  
  
"Where did you get these pictures? I thought I burned them all!" She tries to grab the photos one last time, but they're still too high for her to reach.

"I just called in a little favor to Aya Kurtzberg."

"What do you want, money?" _  
_  
"No... A favor." Seeing Alix panting to catch her breath and has given up on trying to get the photos back, he continues, "Marinette Dupain-Cheng did polls. I want you to do a petition, as a favor. As _the_ favor. You've heard of the group, "Miraculous," right?"

"Yeah," Alix shrugged, " _Teenage Suicide (Don't Do it)_. So what?"

"Well, some teenybopper rag says that they want to play a prom." He sifts through the photos, reminding Alix what's at stake right now. "Now, it could be DuPont's if we get everybody's John Hancock."

Alix thought about it for a moment. She had to do what he says or risk everyone seeing those photos which should have been long-gone because she didn't want them. They were just dumb photos of her and a sweet boy who turned out to be a total jerk. With a sigh, Alix held out her hand. "Deal." Luka, with a devious grin, shook her hand. "You swear that no one will see those photos, right?"

"Just have everyone sign the petition," Luka reminded her. "And these photos from your past won't be seen by anyone. Not by Aurore, not Jean, Mireille, Nino-"

Alix scoffed, "I don't care if you show Nino. These photos, like our past, are ancient history. And nobody cares about the past. Just like nobody cares about Nino Lame-ass.”

When the bell rings, the two walk out of the locker room. Alix tries one last time to steal the photos, but Luka quickly slides them into his jacket pocket and speed-walks his way to class while Alix lets out a frustrated yell and storms off to her next class. Another person walks out of the locker room. It was Nino, who had heard everything while he was in the bathroom. He slowly slipped his hood over his head and started walking to the front doors.

Nino's life is truly fucked up. He's lost everything. His friends, his girlfriend, and the first person he ever actually loved.

When Nino was five and in maternelle, everything was perfect. There were no Primaries, no Lila, everyone just got along and they were all friends. No one thought about dating or their reputation. And they wouldn't for a couple more years. ****

Fast forward a couple of months later. It's a weekend, and Nino's mother takes him to the park. There, he meets a young blonde boy with beautiful green eyes and a smile that could just light up a room. They were the only kids in the park at the moment, so they decided to play with each other. The more they played, the more Nino found himself becoming drawn to the boy. He didn't want that day to end; it was like a dream... But then he woke up. Blondie had to leave and he hasn't seen him since.

Now they're seven and in le primaire. A shy new student joins the class, Nathaniel Kurtzberg. The toughest girl in class, Alix Kudbel, decides to help him get acquainted with everyone else. He wasn't that talkative, but after some time, he managed to become friends with everyone, especially Alix. She made a promise that they'd always be best friends, but little did she knew, that promise would be broken.

Le Collége. They're now thirteen, and a new student has joined the class. Alya Césaire, the girl who Nino would soon be dating. It felt nice having someone to hang out with now that Marinette spent most of her time sewing for people and barely had any time to hang out with her friends. She always managed to take some time out of her schedule, but work still came first for her, and it all paid off when her designs started getting recognized by many celebrities.

Life with Alya was great until Jean joined the school. It’s how Nino learned she was as loyal as he thought she was. It was like being with a whole different person. Nino wanted to say something, but maybe he was overthinking it. Maybe they used to be friends and that’s why Alya’s trying to hold hands with Jean every chance she gets... Yeah. Maybe it was just a misunderstanding.

Now they're fourteen, and hell comes to their once peaceful classroom. Lila Rossi. Everyone in their class took an immediate liking to her when she told them grand and totally fabricated stories about her life. They all loved her except for three students- Marinette, Nathaniel, and Chloé Bourgeois, the mayor's daughter who could easily spot a liar thanks to so many years of watching her father expose corrupt politicians. This caused a divide between them and the rest of the class. Nino never thought of Lila as a liar. What would she have to gain from telling lies, anyway? So, he listened in awe as Lila told many stories about her time saving a prince from choking, going on tours with many celebrities, and saving Steven Spielberg's ferret from falling off of a balcony... The director had a cocker spaniel.

Now seeing the light, he tried to explain to Alya that Lila was a liar like Marinette, Nathaniel, and Chloé have been telling everyone, but she didn't take it well. She was Lila's most loyal follower, and would not allow anyone, not even her boyfriend to call her bestie a liar. They broke up two days later, and Nino's life has become hell. Everyone took Alya's side and tormented him constantly. And not just him. Marinette, Nathaniel, and Chloé had it worse ever since Lila started telling lies about them.

_'Marinette told me to kill myself!'_

_'Nathaniel called me a fat pig!'_

_'Chloé stole my lunch money!'_

Alix severed all ties with Nathaniel and treated him horribly. Sabrina, Chloé's best friend, wanted nothing to do with her. And Marinette lost her status as the Class Darling. That title now belonged to Lila. Having enough of the constant torment they're being forced to endure because their spineless teacher won't do a single thing about rowdy class, they transferred to Mendelieve's classroom and were welcomed with open arms. Turns out, the three of them were actually very popular outside of their classroom. That left Nino at the hands of his classmates.

Now they're fifteen, and it's their first day of lycée. Nino is a social outcast while the three students who transferred out of the Rossi Class are living the high life. Now dubbed, 'The Primaries', they ruled over the school and no one dared to mess with them. The students in the Rossi Class were bold enough, but The Primaries managed to put them in their place every single time. Lila, meanwhile, was delusional. She thought everyone in the school worshipped her when really, they all despised and loathed her.

Nino was lonely, he'll admit. He lost all of his friends and his girlfriend and sometimes he just felt like disappearing... But then he showed up. Sporting that smile Nino remembered so well was the boy he met when he was five. Adrien Agreste. He hasn't changed much over the years. Yes, he was now a model for his father's brand, but he was still that shy and sweet boy Nino remembered so fondly. After learning about the Rossi Class, Adrien hasn't left Nino's side since. This turned him into a pariah, but Adrien didn't care as long as he had Nino. If this was a dream, he never wanted to wake up.

The two became inseparable. Adrien would always defend him from the Rossi Class, invited him over to his house whenever they uninvited him to class events, and Nino even introduced him to the wonderful movies of Steven Spielberg. Nino didn't know why, but Adrien made him feel... So much happier than Alya did. He didn't understand until he realized that he was in love with Adrien... But he could never tell him that. Just being best friends was okay with him, and he'd take what he could get.

It was all perfect until they turned Seventeen. Nino was alone once again.

Ever since Adrien joined the Primaries and started dating Luka, Nino hasn't stopped thinking about him. He thought about him in ways that'd leave the guitarist thinking he was trying to steal Adrien away from him. He had dreams at night where it was just the two of them, and it was bliss. Adrien carried him bridal style out of the classroom and jumped from rooftop to rooftop while Nino nuzzled into his chest. Adrien beat up every single one of their classmates and pulled Nino in for a passionate kiss. And his favorite... Adrien rode in on the back of a horse with wings. He carried Nino in his arms as the horse flew them all around the city. Above the trees, over cars and croquet lawns. Past the church, the lake, and the mall.

Nino wanted that again. He wanted it all to be real... And it could...

Nino clipped the note to his hoodie. It simply read, _"This time, I'm never waking up."_ He lifted himself up on the railing and sat there for about a minute before taking a deep breath. Then he spread his arms and leaned back.


End file.
